Journalist Mahesh Langa moves Gujarat High Court challenging second FIR in GST fraud case

Mahesh Langa, a senior journalist who was working for The Hindu, has filed a plea before the Gujarat High Court challenging the validity of a second FIR (First Information Report) filed in Rajkot in connection with a GST (Goods and Services Tax) fraud case in which an FIR was already registered earlier in Ahmedabad [Maheshdan Prabhudan Langa v State of Gujarat & Ors]..Justice Sandeep Bhat on Monday sought the GST department's response in the matter and listed the plea for hearing on January 7, 2025.“Prima facie, it transpires that the presence of the GST Department is also required for the consideration of the present petition. Issue Notice returnable on 07.01.2025”, the Court said..The GST fraud case in which Langa is implicated concerns multiple companies and their owners who are accused of fraudulently claiming input tax credit (ITC).The first FIR in this case was registered in Ahmedabad. Langa's counsel has argued, that a second FIR has now been registered in Rajkot citing the same GST offences. Since it concerns the same case, Langa contended that the second FIR cannot stand. His counsel added that the authorities could instead investigate the matter based on the FIR already registered in Ahmedabad.When the matter was taken up on Monday, Langa's lawyer informed the Court that a copy of Langa's plea is yet to be served on the GST Department due to lack of information about the department's counsel. The Court, therefore, issued notice to the concerned GST authority and sought its appearance in the next hearing. .On October 8, this year, Langa was arrested by the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB). A magistrate remanded him to police custody for ten days.Subsequently, Langa challenged his remand before the High Court, contending that he had falsely been accused in the case and that his arrest was politically motivated to prevent him from pursuing journalistic activities. However, Langa later withdrew his plea challenging remand..Langa then filed a bail plea asserting that there is nothing to show that he was even remotely connected to the alleged GST fraud.However, a magistrate court denied him bail after observing that according to the prosecution, Langa had played an active role in the commission of the alleged offence and had hatched a conspiracy with other co-accused to evade income tax and GST.The magistrate further took note of allegations that Langa had made his wife, Kavitaben Langa a partner in a firm named 'DA Enterprise' for his own financial gain and with the intention of evading taxes and causing damage to the government.Langa has also been booked in a separate case involving allegations of cheating. However, he has been granted anticipatory bail by an Ahmedabad court in that case. .Advocates AJ Yagnik and Vedant J Rajguru appeared for Mahesh Langa.Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mitesh Amin represented the State of Gujarat..[Read Order]