Gujarat : Journalist, 33 others arrested in Rs 200 Cr GST scam

Ahmedabad : The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested journalist Mahesh Langa along with over a dozen other suspects in connection with a Rs 200 crore input tax credit (ITC) scam in Gujarat. Langa, a senior journalist, was apprehended after investigators recovered fake documents linked to him during a series of raids. The scam involved the creation of more than 200 bogus firms across India to fraudulently avail ITC, resulting in significant losses to the government.

The arrests were made after the Director General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) provided crucial information to the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. Acting on this tip, the Crime Branch conducted raids at 14 locations across Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Surat, Kheda, and Bhavnagar. These raids led to the arrest of more than 33 individuals, which includes owners of 12 fake companies. Among those questioned were Ajay Barad, son of Saurashtra BJP MLA Bhagwan Barad, and journalist Mahesh Langa.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had established over 200 bogus companies throughout the country. These companies were allegedly used to generate fraudulent input tax credits, inflicting financial damage on the government exchequer. The scam involved sophisticated methods, including the use of fake identities and forged documents to create the bogus firms. The scam is part of an organized effort to defraud the government through fake billing, false documentation, and the misrepresentation of facts.

ACP Bharat Patel of the Crime Branch confirmed that Langa was arrested based on false documents found in his possession during the raids. “Following a complaint received from the GST department, journalist Mahesh Langa has been arrested for submitting false documents,” said Patel. “The Crime Branch will seize all related documents and continue the investigation. Further action will be taken as more information surfaces.”

The multi-agency investigation involved teams from the Crime Branch, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and Special Operations Group (SOG), who executed raids at various locations across Gujarat. The authorities believe that more than 200 fraudulent companies were operating in an organized manner across the country, using illegal tactics to obtain and pass bogus input tax credit. The scam has resulted in significant financial losses to the nation’s exchequer.

Himanshu Joshi, Director of the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI), filed the original complaint that triggered the raids. The complaint revealed that a group of individuals had been registering fake companies under names like Dhruvi Enterprises in Ahmedabad to obtain fraudulent ITC. This group is suspected of registering over 200 bogus companies and generating bills worth thousands of crores to avail the illicit tax credits.

Gujarat, a leader in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection, has also seen a surge in GST-related frauds. The total amount of GST scams under investigation in Gujarat has now crossed Rs 50,000 crore, with many cases still under scrutiny.