Gujarat Court Denies Bail to Journalist Mahesh Langa
A court in Ahmedabad has denied bail to journalist Mahesh Langa, who is accused in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case involving ₹6.61 lakh. Additional Sessions Judge Hemangkumar Girishkumar Pandya observed that the alleged offence was serious, with the fraudulent claim of GST credit having significant implications for the country’s economy.
The court noted that economic offences, especially those involving large-scale conspiracies and the loss of public funds, must be treated with the utmost seriousness. “Economic offences constitute a class apart and need to be approached differently in bail matters,” the judge said, adding that such crimes pose serious repercussions for national development.
Langa’s bail plea had previously been rejected by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on October 30. The court had cited prima facie evidence of Langa’s active involvement in the conspiracy to defraud the government, along with the possibility of him tampering with evidence if granted bail.
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Mahesh Langa has been in custody since October, following the registration of an FIR on October 7 by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. The case was filed based on a complaint from the Central GST, with a second FIR filed against him in Gandhinagar on October 23, after documents related to the Gujarat Maritime Board were allegedly recovered.
The investigations, led by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), revealed that Langa and his associates used shell companies like Dhruvi Enterprises to falsely claim input tax credits, thereby evading GST dues. The probe also uncovered the use of forged documents and credentials, such as mobile numbers and PAN cards, to create over 220 suspected shell companies.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police have conducted searches at 19 locations across Gujarat, including in Bhavnagar, Surat, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad. Authorities have seized 29 computers, 38 mobile phones, seven laptops, and several documents, all of which are being analyzed for forensic evidence.
The case highlights the growing concerns over white-collar crimes in India, which have increased alarmingly in recent years and are seen as a significant threat to the nation’s economic structure.
