Weeks after he was arrested in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case, the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Tuesday filed another case against Gujarat-based senior journalist Mahesh Langa for allegedly cheating a businessman of Rs 28.68 lakh. This is the fourth case involving Langa, a senior assistant editor at The Hindu, linked to the alleged GST scam to the tune of several crores.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner Gyanender Singh Malik said that his personnel “have conducted the investigation in a professional manner”. His remarks came at the first such press briefing since the alleged fraud was busted earlier this month followed by Langa’s arrest.
Seventeen people have been arrested in the case so far, said Malik. “There are comments on X questioning the actions of the police. That is absolutely wrong. The Crime Branch is handling this case very professionally,” he said.
The registration of an FIR against Langa for the alleged possession of confidential documents linked to Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has drawn criticism from various media bodies. The case was filed after the documents were allegedly seized from Langa’s home by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch.
At Tuesday’s press briefing, Malik dissociated the Ahmedabad City Police from the GMB documents case, stating that both, in his remarks, as well as in a press note circulated later, it was highlighted that the GMB case was exclusively under the purview of the Gandhinagar Police and that the Ahmedabad City Police “are not privy” to the investigation in the case.
Amid fresh claims against Langa by police, including those related to his lifestyle and alleged benami transactions, The Indian Express reached out to Langa’s lawyers who declined to comment. However, they said they would issue a statement on Wednesday.
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