Saurabh Mukherjee
Senior journalist Mahesh Langa is facing intensified legal trouble, with the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) filing a fresh FIR against him on Tuesday (October 29).
The latest case marks the third FIR against Langa in the span of nearly three weeks.
Currently held under judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Jail, he was first arrested by the DCB on October 8 in connection with a GST fraud case. Notably, reports indicate that Langa’s name was not mentioned in the FIR related to this case.
Soon after, the Gandhinagar police filed another FIR for alleged possession of confidential Gujarat Maritime Board documents.
Langa’s arrest has sparked concern within the media community, with several journalists affirming his integrity and noting his recent work, including a report on how a ban on Russian-origin diamonds has impacted Gujarat’s diamond industry, which some believe may have contributed to his legal troubles.
According to a report in Deccan Herald, Langa, who serves as a senior assistant editor at The Hindu, has now been accused of cheating in a third case filed by Pranay Shah, an Ahmedabad-based advertising firm owner.
Shah claims he first met Langa at a Bodakdev coffee shop, where Langa reportedly presented himself as a well-connected journalist with influence in both political and bureaucratic circles.
Langa allegedly offered to assist Shah by arranging for "positive news" coverage of his clients in various newspapers.
Police sources allege that Langa organized meetings with media personnel in Delhi, facilitating favourable news for Shah’s clients in different publications.
The DCB reports that Langa was allegedly paid around Rs 48 lakh over time, purportedly to establish a corporate office for his wife on Ahmedabad’s Sindhu Bhawan Road.
Shah claims that the payments were made through his friend, Darshah Shah, and that he also covered other expenses on Langa’s behalf, such as a banquet hall booking for Langa’s wife’s birthday celebration.
Shah has alleged that Langa assured him that these funds would be repaid, but this did not happen.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik is expected to address the media later today, providing updates on the GST fraud investigation and further details regarding this latest case against Langa.
The latest case marks the third FIR against Langa in the span of nearly three weeks.
Currently held under judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Jail, he was first arrested by the DCB on October 8 in connection with a GST fraud case. Notably, reports indicate that Langa’s name was not mentioned in the FIR related to this case.
Soon after, the Gandhinagar police filed another FIR for alleged possession of confidential Gujarat Maritime Board documents.
Langa’s arrest has sparked concern within the media community, with several journalists affirming his integrity and noting his recent work, including a report on how a ban on Russian-origin diamonds has impacted Gujarat’s diamond industry, which some believe may have contributed to his legal troubles.
According to a report in Deccan Herald, Langa, who serves as a senior assistant editor at The Hindu, has now been accused of cheating in a third case filed by Pranay Shah, an Ahmedabad-based advertising firm owner.
Shah claims he first met Langa at a Bodakdev coffee shop, where Langa reportedly presented himself as a well-connected journalist with influence in both political and bureaucratic circles.
Langa allegedly offered to assist Shah by arranging for "positive news" coverage of his clients in various newspapers.
Police sources allege that Langa organized meetings with media personnel in Delhi, facilitating favourable news for Shah’s clients in different publications.
The DCB reports that Langa was allegedly paid around Rs 48 lakh over time, purportedly to establish a corporate office for his wife on Ahmedabad’s Sindhu Bhawan Road.
Shah claims that the payments were made through his friend, Darshah Shah, and that he also covered other expenses on Langa’s behalf, such as a banquet hall booking for Langa’s wife’s birthday celebration.
Shah has alleged that Langa assured him that these funds would be repaid, but this did not happen.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik is expected to address the media later today, providing updates on the GST fraud investigation and further details regarding this latest case against Langa.
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