In the Income Tax raids that have been conducted, not only Vasant Gajera’s Laxmi Diamond is under scrutiny, but investigations are also ongoing at the premises of Pravin Agrawal, who is known as Pravin Bhute. According to available details, Pravin Agrawal was a 43% partner in Vasant Gajera’s company, Shanti Residence Pvt. Ltd.

Vasant Gajera sold shops in Surat’s Millennium-2 and Millennium-4 textile markets at prices higher than the market rate. In Millennium-2, only 7% of the amount was shown as paid by cheque, with the remaining amount taken in cash. Similarly, in Millennium-4, 16% of the amount was shown by cheque and the rest in cash.

After this, a resignation letter was prepared by forging Pravin Agrawal’s signature, and his shareholding was reduced from 43% to 4%. It is being said that Pravin conveyed this matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At a time when Income Tax officials have conducted raids on Vasant Gajera and his group companies, an old case has resurfaced.

According to information provided by the complainant’s advocate, Pratik Surti, in the Pal Gaurav Path area of Surat, a case involving ancestral land registered in the names of 45 farmers was fraudulently taken over by creating bogus documents, amounting to an estimated land scam of around ₹100 crore. In this case, in 2024, the Supreme Court had ordered the Pal Police to register an FIR against Vasant Gajera and five others.

The accused named in the case are Aditya Hadkiya, Hiralal Hadkiya, Vasant Gajera, Bakul Gajera, and Dharmesh Hapani. The Pal Police have registered the FIR, and sections of the Atrocities Act have also been added.

However, as of today, Vasant Gajera and the other accused have not been arrested.

For the past several days, land mafia Anil Bagdana has been a topic of discussion. Now it has come to light that Anil has built a lavish farmhouse in Bagdana, Bhavnagar, allegedly for local so-called leaders and officials to enjoy themselves. This raises a serious question: with whose money was this luxurious farmhouse of Anil Jayanti Vedani (Bagdana), an uneducated member of the Mahakal Group known for land mafia activities in Surat, constructed?

This farmhouse, which has become a hub for leaders and officials, is said to have been built using money obtained by usurping farmers’ land and by blackmailing builders.

The government should investigate such illegal (benami/black) money of land mafias and use those funds for the development of the country. The government should also ensure that leaders and officials stop encouraging and supporting such mafias.

A team of Income Tax officials is conducting an investigation against the Gajera Group and others. IT officials from five cities have simultaneously carried out raids at 16 locations, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Surat, and Delhi.

According to available information, Vasant Gajera and his group have a connection with Mehul Choksi, who fled abroad after committing a fraud of ₹15,000 crore in Punjab National Bank.

In the chargesheet filed by ED’s Mumbai Zonal Officer Rakesh Kumar, Mehul Choksi is named as the prime accused, Rakesh Gajera as the second accused, and Vasant Gajera, his companies, and the Gajera brothers are named as co-accused number six. The chargesheet mentions a fraud amounting to ₹7,080 crore.

It is being said that before fleeing abroad, Mehul Choksi transferred some funds to companies owned by Vasant Gajera, and Vasant Gajera used that money through a hawala network.