Who is Mahesh Langa?
Mahesh, hinduismThe Gujarat correspondent has been accused of using his position to engage in extortion, settlement and illegal business, reportedly earning millions of dollars through these activities. His name also comes up in a case involving leakage of government documents, in which an FIR was filed in Gandhinagar.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch recently conducted a search at Mahesh’s house and found Rs 20 lakh in cash, expensive jewelery and property documents. Mahesh Langa’s annual salary is only 9 lakh rupees. In Mahesh Langa’s last income tax return for 2022-23, his own income was only Rs 9.48 lakh and his wife’s income was Rs 6.04 lakh, which means his income in 1 year was about Rs 15.5 lakh, And Rs 20 lakh in cash was found in his house.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Mahesh and his wife often stay in luxury hotels.
Allegations of fake corporate network
According to the ED, one of the shell companies, Dhruvi Enterprises, was allegedly created using forged documents to obtain GST registration. The entity reportedly issued false invoices to 12 different companies, including DA Enterprises, which subsequently claimed fraudulent ITC from the GST department. Investigators said Mahesh Langa controlled DA Enterprises, from which unaccounted cash was seized, and more benami transactions were suspected to have been conducted through shell companies.
Ongoing search operations
As part of the widening investigation, the ED on Sunday conducted searches at the residences of Langa and his associates in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Surat and Bhavnagar. The search reportedly uncovered “incriminating documents” related to shell companies involved in ITC’s fraudulent claims. . “During the course of investigation, statutory authorities conducted inquiries and recorded various statements under PMLA and the authenticity of these transactions could not be ascertained,” the agency said.
Police chief confirms role of shell companies
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said Langa was the operator of DA Enterprises, a shell company allegedly used to transfer funds through false charges. Malik reported DA Enterprises’ turnover in 2022-23 at Rs 67 crore, up from Rs 21 lakh in 2020-21. “The funds were transferred to Dhruvi Enterprises and then withdrawn in the form of cash and returned to Mahesh through the hawala network,” Malik said.
Malik added that Langa’s cousin and wife were found not guilty in the investigation, stressing that “we have not shown any vindictiveness in this case”.
Income tax department sounds alert over lifestyle differences
Authorities found that Langa allegedly lived a lavish lifestyle, although he declared an annual income of Rs 9.48 lakh, while his wife’s income was Rs 6.04 lakh. Malik pointed out that the crime branch recovered Rs 20 lakh in unaccounted cash during a raid at Langa’s residence and reported his foreign travel and high-end expenses to the income tax department for further investigation.
Other Shell charges
The city police statement said Langa transferred funds from DA Enterprises to Nisarg Enterprises, a company run by his brother Manhar, a public school teacher, and Manhar’s wife. Police have accused Nisarg Enterprises of engaging in suspicious transactions worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.
The ED and other investigative agencies continue to investigate Langa’s involvement in CGST fraud and money laundering allegations as part of a wider crackdown on tax-related fraud in the state.