The third FIR has been lodged against The Hindu journalist Mahesh Langa who is an accused in a GST fraud case, within a span of a month, as per Police. The latest FIR is based on a complaint registered by Pranav Shah, director, Khushi Enterprises.
The complainant reported that he had transferred Rs 23 lakh to Langa for “some advertisement work”, and also paid Rs 5 lakh for a “lavish party” which Langa had organized, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said.
He, in the FIR, alleged that Langa neither completed the work for which he was paid, nor did he return the amount, the police official added.
“There is a money trail,” Malik said, adding that the amount was electronically transferred and an inquiry will be conducted into the allegations made against him.
Langa, a senior assistant editor at The Hindu, is in jail for the past few weeks after he was booked in an alleged goods and services tax scam case.
The case was registered on October 7 by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch.
This was followed by a second FIR registered in Gandhinagar against the journalist on 23 of the month following the alleged recovery of some documents of the Gujarat Maritime Board from him.
A new agency was informed by District Superintendent of Police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty that FIR is not accessible to the public online as it has been put under “sensitive category”.
The agency quoting sources said that Langa and an unidentified employee of the Gujarat Maritime Board were booked on the charges of theft and under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The GST fraud case, which was registered based on the complaint sent by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence to Gujarat Police, is centred around a “shell” company named Dhruvi Enterprises, the investigators said.
Among the firms that dealt with Dhruvi Enterprises is DA Enterprises, which is allegedly controlled by Langa, according to officials.
“DA Enterprises is in the name of Mahesh Langa’s wife and cousin…We questioned them and found they were unaware about it. This indicated that this firm was operated by Mahesh Langa,” Malik said.
During the search at the premise of Langa, Rs 20 lakh in cash was seized, the police commissioner added.
“Laptop and phones have also been seized and sent to the FSL. Once the FSL report comes out, further details will be shared,” the official said.
Malik further noted that the investigators have scanned the income tax records of Langa, and found that in fiscal 2023, he had shown his income as Rs 9.48 lakh and his wife’s income as Rs 6 lakh. “But see his lifestyle, his stays at five-star hotels and visit to foreign countries etc.,” he said.