On Tuesday, October 22nd, Gujarat Police raided the Gujarat Maritime Board office in Gandhinagar following the arrest of Mahesh Langa, a Gujarat-based reporter for the English newspaper The Hindu, in connection with a GST scam. This raid has led to significant revelations leading to the increase of the legal pressure on Langa. A complaint has been registered against him at the Gandhinagar Sector 7 Police Station as the investigations in the given case continue.
The FIR has been classified as ‘sensitive,’ so specific details are unavailable despite attempts to obtain them. However, media reports suggest that Langa allegedly exploited his position as a journalist to acquire government documents, which he then shared with others. The investigation is focusing on identifying the recipients of these documents and how they were utilized. Authorities are also probing whether Langa received any financial benefits in return.
On Tuesday, more than five teams of Gandhinagar police conducted a search operation at the Maritime Board office, where they recovered documents indicating that Langa, along with certain officials, had leaked sensitive information related to a private port, the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). As a result, some officials may also face questioning. Additionally, police have reportedly retrieved chat records between Langa and the involved officials. A detailed investigation is expected to follow.
પત્રકાર મહેશ લાંગાના વધુ કેટલાક કારનામા, મહેશ લાંગાની IAS,IPS અધિકારીઓ સાથેની ચેટ સામે આવી…#Gandhinagar #maheshlanga #chatleak #gujarat #zee24kalak pic.twitter.com/xBENSBXaaE
— Zee 24 Kalak (@Zee24Kalak) October 23, 2024
During the preliminary investigation, police discovered that Langa had obtained government documents from certain officials and shared them with opposition parties and industrialists. Notably, none of these documents were ever published in The Hindu. Based on this information, authorities conducted a search operation at the Gujarat Maritime Board office.
According to a report from Jagran, Langa, as a journalist, is accused of misusing documents related to Gujarat’s ports and policies, either by obtaining or stealing them. It is suspected that he may have used this information to fuel political or business rivalries. Several officers and employees are currently being questioned in connection with this case. Additionally, a new FIR has been lodged against Langa at the Gandhinagar Sector 7 Police Station.
Sector 7 Police Station’s PI Bharat Singh Gohil confirmed in an interview with OpIndia that the FIR has been registered. However, since the investigation is being handled by higher authorities, the local police do not have further information at this stage. The charges include violations under Sections 303(2), 306, 316(5), and 61(2) of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS), along with Sections 7(a), 8(1), and 12, 13(1) of the Bribery Detention Act. Initially, Langa is the only named accused, but further revelations are expected as the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) arrested five more individuals on Tuesday as part of the ongoing investigation into a nationwide GST evasion racket involving a network of 220 shell companies, many of which are based in Gujarat. DCP Ajit Rajian identified the five arrested as Adil Kadar Khokhar, Kadar alias Navdi Rafiqbhai Khokhar, Akil Anubhai Pathan, Shahrukh Rafiqbhai Rangrej, and Sarfaraz Mustafa Chauhan, all residents of Bhavnagar.
With these latest arrests, the total number of individuals apprehended in the case has risen to 13. The first individuals arrested in connection with the case were Mahesh Langa, Aijaz alias Maldar, Abdulkader alias Bapu, and Jyotish Magan Gondaliya. On October 13th, Faizal Munaf Shaikh, Irfan alias Padu Sattar Jethwa, Jignesh Himmatlal Desai, and Paresh Pradeep Dodiya were apprehended. After their police remand expired on October 18th, they were all transferred to judicial prison at Sabarmati Central Jail.
Mahesh Langa approached the Gujarat High Court about ten days ago, challenging his 10-day police remand, claiming it was politically motivated. However, at the plea hearing on October 14th, he withdrew the request.
Langa’s arrest came after 13 enterprises and their owners were charged with alleged input tax credit (ITC) fraud, according to a complaint filed by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence. The Crime Branch is now investigating the case. According to investigators, the GST fraud caused huge losses for the government, with the accused collecting and passing on false ITC via fake invoices. The FIR states that the scheme comprised over 220 shell firms formed using falsified documentation.
