"Journalist Mahesh Langa Challenges 10-Day Police Remand in Gujarat High Court Over GST 'Fraud' Case"

Mahesh Langa, a journalist and Senior Assistant Editor at 'The Hindu,' has filed a petition with the Gujarat High Court, challenging a 10-day police remand granted by a magisterial court in connection with an alleged Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case. During a session on Friday (October 11), Justice Sandeep N. Bhatt asked the state’s counsel to gather instructions on the matter and set the next hearing for October 14. The judge also requested Langa's counsel to provide the petition to the state's counsel, who noted that she hadn't yet received the relevant documents. Justice Bhatt indicated that the state could seek instructions and, if necessary, submit an affidavit, stating, "Remand is granted for 10 days, on Monday we have to proceed with the matter." Senior advocate Jal Unwala, representing Langa, argued that the magistrate's court had improperly granted a 10-day remand for an offense under Section 420 of the IPC. In response, the judge remarked on the severity of the offense, to which Unwala argued that remand should be considered based on necessity rather than the gravity of the crime. Unwala further stated that the authorities' case involves around 220 shell companies allegedly causing losses to the government by misusing GST credits, of which only one entity, DA Enterprise, is connected to Langa. He emphasized that Langa's name did not appear in the FIR, and instead, his cousin Manojbhai was mentioned as a witness. According to the plea, the issue originated from a complaint filed by the Senior Intelligence Officer of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), citing fraudulent practices by multiple entities across India designed to exploit the system through false Input Tax Credits. This led to the registration of an FIR at DCB Police Station, Ahmedabad, on October 7, listing several IPC offenses, including cheating and forgery. The petition also details that Langa was taken into custody on October 7 and was held by the police until he was presented before the magistrate's court on October 9. Although the Investigation Officer initially requested a 14-day remand, the court ultimately allowed a 10-day remand. The plea argues that Langa has no direct link to DA Enterprise and that the magistrate's order for remand was merely a repetition of the claims made by the investigating officer, lacking independent analysis. It further contends that there is no evidence to suggest Langa's involvement in the alleged offenses, and thus, the remand order should be quashed. Case: Maheshdan Prabhudan Langa v State of Gujarat and Anr. www.legalmeet.in