Several surprising revelations have emerged about Mahesh Langa, a journalist for The Hindu, who is implicated in a GST fraud case. Reports suggest that he led a lifestyle far beyond his salary, amassing crores of rupees over the past two years.
Reports indicate that Mahesh leveraged his position as a journalist to engage in blackmail, settlements, and illicit business activities, reportedly earning millions through these means.
Additionally, his name has surfaced concerning the leak of sensitive government documents, and an FIR has been filed in Gandhinagar regarding this matter.
Despite an annual salary reportedly only in the lakhs, a recent Ahmedabad Crime Branch search at his home uncovered Rs 20 lakhs in cash. Police also recovered expensive jewelry and documents related to property holdings.
Furthermore, Mahesh and his wife frequently visited luxury hotels like the Oberoi and Taj Man Singh. As per the revelations, he and his wife stayed in such establishments over 98 times in the past year without covering any of the costs themselves.
Shell companies bore the cost
Investigations have revealed that the lavish lifestyle of the journalist was primarily funded through shell companies. He also frequently traveled by chartered flights, with fares amounting to lakhs.
He even has a history of hosting an extravagant birthday party, inviting prominent businessmen and city officials. For this event, he reportedly paid a Rs 5 lakh advance for the hall and gifted gold coins to each guest.
Use of government documents for personal gain
As reported earlier, Mahesh Langa also acquired government documents. Notably, he did not use these for journalism but rather to blackmail officials and government bodies. However, officially, it is stated that the documents contained no information against the government.
His wife and brother have apparently issued statements against him. The initial FIR named Mahesh’s brother, Manoj Langa. However, the investigation later showed that Mahesh’s wife was a partner in the company being investigated. During questioning, she claimed that she was uninformed of the actions and attributed everything to Mahesh.
Following a raid at the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) office, another FIR was filed in Gandhinagar
As Mahesh Langa was first brought for questioning by the Crime Branch, he claimed that he was being targeted by the government because of his work as a journalist, but this defense failed, and he was arrested.
During the investigation, it was determined that he had been in contact with specific officials, with chat logs to back this up located on his devices. Further police investigation found that Mahesh had gotten documents and other private information about the Gujarat Maritime Board, triggering a search of the GMB office in Gandhinagar.
After seizing several documents and materials, the Gandhinagar police registered another FIR against him at the Sector 7 police station. The investigation remains in its early stages, and police have yet to take him into full custody.
Meanwhile, Mahesh’s bail plea in the GST fraud case was denied by the Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court, and he is currently held in Sabarmati Jail. As the investigation unfolds, there are indications that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may also become involved; reports suggest they have already begun a preliminary inquiry.
