Mahesh Shah might face 3 years jail for his false disclosures

The Gujarat –based real estate agent, Mahesh Shah who had declared the staggering amount of Rs 13,860 under the Central government’s Income Disclosure Scheme(IDS),enabling him to convert 50% of his money into white, shocked everyone in the country by announcing on December 3^rd night in a local Gujarati TV interview that the money was not his but belonged to various politicians and businessmen.

Now the Income tax officials to whom he was ready to disclose names say that he has been uncooperative. After Shah’s seven-hour questioning on Monday, Director General of Income Tax (Investigation wing) PC Mody had told media that Shah was being uncooperative in the interrogation and the officials would be compelled to take action if he continued that way. Is this the real case of the matter or are his revelations too disturbing for the ruling powers, many are left wondering.

Mahesh Shah uncooperative, say Gujarat Income tax officials

Since Mahesh has already admitted that the money does not belong to him, he might be prosecuted under Section 277 of the Income Tax Act which states: “If a person makes a statement in any verification under this Act or under any rule made there under, or delivers an account or statement which is false, and which he either knows or believes to be false, or does not believe to be true, he shall be punishable.”

Former BJP chief minister Sureshbhai Mehta told media sources that Mahesh Shah, the man who made mysteriously high disclosures of Rs 13,800 crore in cash under the IDS , was a man with free access to the CMO (Chief Minister Office in Ahmedabad) in the past.

Hardik Patel of Gujarat Patidar reservation leader has alleged that Mahesh Shah was very close and was acting for “General Dyer”- the name given to Amit Shah in Gujarat. Following these serious allegations, the Opposition including Arvind Kejriwal has called for a probe into the whole affair.

“The strange case of Mahesh Shah”

“He thinks of himself to be some kind of a hero. He has demanded three-four days’ time to attend his ailing wife and asked I-T officials to contact him only after that,” the source in the Income tax investigating team has told the media. Meanwhile a probe was also ordered on a Police officer for making Shah wear a police uniform to hoodwink the media while taking him away from his daughter’s place. Many strange happenings are emerging from Gujarat but the truth remains evasive.

–UDAAN