Journalist Mahesh Langa Denied Bail in GST Fraud Case

A local court in Ahmedabad has denied bail to journalist Mahesh Langa, accusing him of fraudulent activity related to a Goods and Services Tax (GST) scam. Additional Sessions Judge Hemangkumar Girishkumar Pandya observed that the alleged offence is serious and affects the nation's economy.

According to the court, Langa has confessed to obtaining GST credit worth Rs 6,61,416 fraudulently and is not entitled to bail. The judge stated that economic offences should be treated with a different approach when it comes to granting bail, as they involve deep-rooted conspiracies and public funds.

Economic offences have serious repercussions on the country's overall development, according to the court. With an alarming rise in white-collar crimes over the past few years, the nation's economic structure has been affected significantly. Langa has been in custody since October 30 following a complaint from the Central GST.

A second FIR was filed against him on October 23, related to documents recovered from the Gujarat Maritime Board. An additional search was conducted at 19 places across the state, resulting in the seizure of 29 computers, 38 mobile phones, seven laptops, and several documents for forensic analysis.

This investigation is part of a larger probe by the GST Intelligence into suspected shell companies that have been found to have forged bills to cheat the government. Similar credentials were used to establish another 220 suspected shell companies.

The Ahmedabad Police has stated that further investigations are ongoing. In this case, Langa was also charged with collaborating on conspiracies to cheat the government and tamper with evidence if released on bail.