Journalist arrested in GST fraud, seeks relief

New Delhi: Senior journalist Mahesh Langa has been recently arrested in connection with an alleged GST-related fraud case and has approached the Gujarat High Court to challenge a magistrate’s decision to remand him to police custody for 10 days.
Langa’s plea contends that the magistrate’s court issued the remand order without proper “application of mind.” During the hearing, senior advocate Unwala represented Langa, arguing that the magistrate granted a 10-day remand for an offense under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code without considering the specifics of the case. “The judgment of the Supreme Court states that it is not solely based on the gravity of the offense,” Unwala emphasized.
A Bench led by Justice Sandeep Bhatt directed Langa’s counsel to serve copies of the plea to the Gujarat government, instructing the government’s lawyers to prepare for the next hearing on October 14.
Langa, a journalist with ‘The Hindu’ newspaper, was arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on October 8 during raids across 14 locations in Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Surat, Kheda, and Bhavnagar. Authorities reportedly recovered Rs 20 lakh in cash, gold jewelry, and land documents from Langa’s residence. Additionally, the Central GST authorities found forged documents linked to Langa’s wife and father, which were allegedly used in suspicious transactions involving fake firms. As the case unfolds, Langa’s challenge to the remand order raises important questions about the legal process and the treatment of journalists amid ongoing investigations.