- By Aashish Vashistha
- Wed, 30 Oct 2024 01:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Gujarat Police have registered a third case against journalist Mahesh Langa, who was arrested this month in connection with alleged goods and services tax (GST) fraud. The third case was registered against Langa on the complaint of Khushi Advertising owner Pranav Shah, who accused the journalist of cheating him of Rs 28.68 lakh.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said that Shah allegedly transferred Rs 23 lakh to Langa for advertisement services and also spent around Rs 5 lakh for a party hosted by the journalist in September.
According to the police, Langa allegedly presented himself as a significant figure in the media and government, offering to assist Shah with advertising. He claimed he could leverage his connections to secure positive news coverage and create a promotional portal.
Shah claimed that he paid Langa Rs 23 lakh through a friend’s company in March and June for the purchase of an office, with Langa assuring him that he would repay the amount in cash.
Additionally, Shah reportedly organized a birthday party for Langa’s wife, costing Rs 5,68,250, based on Langa’s promise of reimbursement. However, Langa allegedly refused to pay and intimidated Shah when he sought the funds.
The FIR was filed just a day after the Editors Guild of India and other journalist organizations raised concerns about the Gujarat police's decision to complain Langa for allegedly stealing and possessing confidential documents from the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB).
The first FIR against Langa pertains to the GST scam, while the second was filed by Gandhinagar police, which alleges that he exploited his position as a journalist to leak government documents.
Langa’s organization, The Hindu has defended him for obtaining sensitive defence documents, asserting they were obtained as part of his work as a journalist.