Senior journalist Mahesh Langa withdrew his legal challenge against a 10-day remand order by a magistrate in connection with a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case. The withdrawal occurred during a hearing at the Gujarat High Court under Justice Sandeep Bhatt, where Langa’s counsel did not specify the reasons for retracting the petition.
Langa, who is a senior journalist for a prominent newspaper, was arrested by the Ahmedabad crime branch on October 8. The subsequent day, a local court approved a 10-day police remand based on allegations of his involvement in a significant GST evasion scheme. Langa’s initial plea contended that the remand order was issued without proper judicial consideration, highlighting that his name did not appear in the initial First Information Report (FIR).
The case against Langa and others was initiated following a complaint by the Central GST authorities, who reported a scam involving the creation of shell companies. These companies were allegedly used to carry out bogus transactions and claim fraudulent input tax credits, ultimately defrauding the government. According to the investigation, suspicious transactions were discovered in firms purportedly established under the names of Langa’s wife and father, using forged documents.
In response to the FIR, law enforcement conducted extensive raids across 14 locations in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Surat, Kheda, and Bhavnagar. To date, the crime branch has arrested eight individuals linked to this sprawling network.
Investigators claim that over 200 fraudulently established firms operated nationwide, orchestrating a coordinated scheme to exploit tax credits and evade GST obligations, which significantly impacted the government’s revenue.
