The Crossbill News Desk
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Bahubali Shah, the 73-year-old managing director and owner of Gujarat Samachar, one of the state’s most widely read newspapers, in connection with alleged financial irregularities.
Shah, who was taken into custody late Thursday (May 15) night, was granted bail by a Gujarat court on Friday afternoon on health grounds. The arrest has triggered a political firestorm, with several opposition leaders calling it an attack on press freedom.
Shah, who has a history of cardiac complications and is recovering from a brain stroke, was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad after his condition deteriorated shortly after his arrest. Though the ED has yet to officially comment on the case, sources familiar with the development indicated that an old money laundering case dating back to 2006 has been revived.
Gujarat Samachar, founded in 1932, has a vast readership across the state and beyond, with editions in Mumbai and New York. The publication, headquartered in Ahmedabad, is jointly managed by Bahubali Shah and his elder brother, Shreyans Shah, who also serves as the paper’s editor-in-chief. The Shah family owns a majority stake in the parent company, Lok Prakashan Ltd., and also runs the GSTV television channel.
The arrest came just days after the newspaper’s social media handle on X was blocked without explanation on May 9, around the time of heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
Notably, Gujarat Samachar was among the first outlets in the state to question the Modi government’s handling of the situation.
On May 14, Income Tax authorities launched raids at several locations linked to the Shah family, including their residences, the Gujarat Samachar office, and the GSTV newsroom. The ED also searched 24 locations tied to the family, including real estate and online media offices.
Sources said the arrest was not immediately reported by the newspaper or its TV channel, with insiders indicating a deliberate decision to “strategically” respond to what they described as an assault on independent journalism.
The opposition has strongly condemned the arrest. Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat state president Shaktisinh Gohil accused the BJP-led government of punishing the newspaper for its critical stance. In a post on X, he wrote, “Punishment for standing up for the truth has been the motto of the BJP government. Leading Gujarati newspaper Gujarat Samachar has always stood up against power, whosoever it be. However, showing a mirror to BJP government and PM Modi in the recent India-Pakistan fallout has ensured that Modi let out his favourite tool kit, his hounds. Income Tax (IT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) has pounced upon Gujarat Samachar and its television channel GSTV, besides other business entities.”
Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and Pawan Khera echoed the criticism. Khera, in a sharp rebuke, said the arrest was the fate of those “who dare to say the emperor is naked,” referring to the Modi government. Venugopal called the arrest a “desperate move” to force independent media into submission. The party’s official handle also condemned the ED’s action.
“Late last night, the ED arrested Bahubali Bhai Shah of Gujarat Samachar. The 93-year-old newspaper has been a bold anti-establishment voice. This is the fate of those who have the guts to openly say that the emperor is naked,” Khera wrote on X.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Gujarat president Isudan Gadhvi termed the arrest an attempt to silence the press, stating that Gujarat Samachar was being intimidated for its bold reporting.
Meanwhile, critics of the Shah family argue that the arrest is linked not to journalism but to financial misconduct. They allege that the private firm Ajab Gajab Investments Pvt. Ltd., linked to the family, was used to move funds illicitly into real estate ventures, including below-market lending and concealed investments in group projects.
Despite the allegations, supporters of the newspaper maintain that the timing and nature of the arrest point to a broader pattern of repression targeting independent media. The episode has intensified the ongoing debate over press freedom and the use of investigative agencies in politically sensitive cases.
Shah, who was taken into custody late Thursday (May 15) night, was granted bail by a Gujarat court on Friday afternoon on health grounds. The arrest has triggered a political firestorm, with several opposition leaders calling it an attack on press freedom.
Shah, who has a history of cardiac complications and is recovering from a brain stroke, was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad after his condition deteriorated shortly after his arrest. Though the ED has yet to officially comment on the case, sources familiar with the development indicated that an old money laundering case dating back to 2006 has been revived.
Gujarat Samachar, founded in 1932, has a vast readership across the state and beyond, with editions in Mumbai and New York. The publication, headquartered in Ahmedabad, is jointly managed by Bahubali Shah and his elder brother, Shreyans Shah, who also serves as the paper’s editor-in-chief. The Shah family owns a majority stake in the parent company, Lok Prakashan Ltd., and also runs the GSTV television channel.
The arrest came just days after the newspaper’s social media handle on X was blocked without explanation on May 9, around the time of heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
Notably, Gujarat Samachar was among the first outlets in the state to question the Modi government’s handling of the situation.
On May 14, Income Tax authorities launched raids at several locations linked to the Shah family, including their residences, the Gujarat Samachar office, and the GSTV newsroom. The ED also searched 24 locations tied to the family, including real estate and online media offices.
Sources said the arrest was not immediately reported by the newspaper or its TV channel, with insiders indicating a deliberate decision to “strategically” respond to what they described as an assault on independent journalism.
The opposition has strongly condemned the arrest. Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat state president Shaktisinh Gohil accused the BJP-led government of punishing the newspaper for its critical stance. In a post on X, he wrote, “Punishment for standing up for the truth has been the motto of the BJP government. Leading Gujarati newspaper Gujarat Samachar has always stood up against power, whosoever it be. However, showing a mirror to BJP government and PM Modi in the recent India-Pakistan fallout has ensured that Modi let out his favourite tool kit, his hounds. Income Tax (IT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) has pounced upon Gujarat Samachar and its television channel GSTV, besides other business entities.”
Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and Pawan Khera echoed the criticism. Khera, in a sharp rebuke, said the arrest was the fate of those “who dare to say the emperor is naked,” referring to the Modi government. Venugopal called the arrest a “desperate move” to force independent media into submission. The party’s official handle also condemned the ED’s action.
“Late last night, the ED arrested Bahubali Bhai Shah of Gujarat Samachar. The 93-year-old newspaper has been a bold anti-establishment voice. This is the fate of those who have the guts to openly say that the emperor is naked,” Khera wrote on X.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Gujarat president Isudan Gadhvi termed the arrest an attempt to silence the press, stating that Gujarat Samachar was being intimidated for its bold reporting.
Meanwhile, critics of the Shah family argue that the arrest is linked not to journalism but to financial misconduct. They allege that the private firm Ajab Gajab Investments Pvt. Ltd., linked to the family, was used to move funds illicitly into real estate ventures, including below-market lending and concealed investments in group projects.
Despite the allegations, supporters of the newspaper maintain that the timing and nature of the arrest point to a broader pattern of repression targeting independent media. The episode has intensified the ongoing debate over press freedom and the use of investigative agencies in politically sensitive cases.
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