Third FIR registered against jailed journalist Mahesh Langa in Ahmedabad, now charged with defrauding businessman of Rs 28 lakh

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Tuesday, 29th October, escalated actions in a major GST scam investigation, conducting raids across several cities in Gujarat. Several persons have been detained in this case, including Mahesh Langa, a journalist affiliated with the left-leaning publication The Hindu. Langa faces multiple allegations, and a new FIR has been filed in his name, bringing the total number of cases against him to three.

This third FIR has been lodged by Pranav Shah, director of an advertising company named Khushi Enterprises, who claims that Langa defrauded him of ₹28 lakh, allegedly failing to return funds provided for specific work. The FIR was filed on Tuesday in Ahmedabad.

According to Pranav Shah, he transferred ₹23 lakh to Langa for advertisement work, and had paid around ₹5 lakh for a party hosted by Langa in September. The ₹23 lakh was paid by Shah through a friend’s company in March and Jun to purchase an office. Then in September, Shah organised a birthday party for Langa’s wife for ₹5,68,250. The journalist had assured that he will repay the entire amount. As per police, Shah has provided substantive evidence of giving the amounts to Langa, including bank transaction records.

During a raid on Langa’s residence, authorities reportedly seized Rs 20 lakh in cash, for which Langa could not provide a satisfactory explanation.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik addressed the media on Tuesday, October 29th, stating that a technical analysis of prior FIRs had been conducted, revealing connections to 12 other companies along with Dhruvi Enterprises. Malik also mentioned that Langa admitted in court that DA Enterprises belonged to him. To date, 17 individuals have been arrested in connection with this case. Despite showing a modest income in his IT returns, authorities noted Langa’s lifestyle appeared notably luxurious.

Ahmedabad Police said that Langa maintained his persona as an investigative journalist and allegedly used it to access govt offices and personnel. He introduced himself as a financial broker, land dealer, and lobbyist to his targets.

The first FIR against Langa pertains to the GST scam, while the second was filed by Gandhinagar police, which alleges that he exploited his position as a journalist to leak government documents. The second case is related to the Gujarat Maritime Board and it is a sensitive case due to national security concerns linked with it. The recent third FIR addresses the Rs 28 lakh fraud accusation, adding another accusation to the complex case against him.

The Hindu has defended Langa for obtaining sensitive defence documents, claiming they were obtained as part of his work as a journalist.