Senior Journalist Mahesh Langa
Credit: Facebook/Mahesh Langa
Ahmedabad: Trouble for senior journalist Mahesh Langa continues as Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Tuesday registered a fresh FIR against him. The fresh case is based on a complaint filed by a businessman alleging Langa of cheating Rs28 lakh.
This is the third FIR in nearly three weeks against the scribe who is lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail under judicial custody. Earlier, he was booked in GST fraud by DCB which arrested him on October 8. Days later, he was booked in another case by Gandhinagar police for possession of confidential documents belonging to Gujarat Maritime Board.
According to police sources, Langa has been booked in the third case for cheating on the basis of a complaint filed by Pranay Shah, who runs an advertising agency Khushi Advertising Ideas Pvt Ltd.
Shah has alleged that he met Langa at a popular coffee joint in Bodakdev where he introduced himself as a journalist who had good contacts in political as well as bureaucratic circles.
Langa allegedly promised that he would help Shah in publishing "positive news" in newspapers. Langa works with The Hindu.
It has been alleged that Langa arranged "meetings" with media persons in Delhi at different hotels and helped the complainant publish positive news about his clients in different newspapers.
According to a press release, " Accepting Langa’s offer, the complainant engaged in business transactions based on Langa’s assurances of assistance and reimbursement."
Police said that on March 16 and June 6, the complainant transferred a total of ₹23,00,000 to Langa’s account through Vyomeen Media Pvt. Ltd, a company managed by the complainant’s friend identified as Darshan Shah.
"This amount was meant to assist Langa in purchasing a corporate office, with Langa assuring the complainant that he would repay the amount in cash," police note stated. Sources said that Langa was setting up the office for his wife located at posh Sindhu Bhavan Road in Ahmedabad.
According to police, Shah also paid bills on behalf of Langa to the banquet hall where he celebrated his wife's birthday last month. Shah has alleged that Langa had taken money with the promise of returning them which he never did.
"The complainant organized the event (birthday party) at the "Jade" Banquet Hall on Sindhu Bhavan Road and paid the bill of ₹5,68,250 after Langa assured him that he would reimburse this amount in cash on the day of the event. However, when the complainant requested the total repayment of ₹28,68,250 (comprising ₹23,00,000 from the business transactions and ₹5,68,250 for the banquet expenses), Langa allegedly refused and resorted to intimidation tactics," the police statement said.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad police commissioner G S Malik in a press conference said, "Another case is being filed against him (Langa). Before giving you the details, I would like to say that the police have done the investigation professionally...there is no doubt about it."
The police have also highlighted "life style" of Langa and it has informed the income tax for inquiry. " In the investigation, it had come to light that he had unexplained lavish lifestyle which includes several stays in 5-star hotel’s presidential suites, business and chartered flights, purchase of high-end luxury brand clothing, gifts etc expensive foreign stays etc. to investigate his lifestyle and his unexplained expenses is not the mandate of current investigation. For that we have informed the income tax department in this context."
Meanwhile, Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Ahmedabad zonal unit, conducted second round of searches in connection with alleged GST fraud involving Langa and ohters at 7 locations in the state.
The agency stated that during its investigation it found that "Mahesh Langa was controlling the firm M/s DA Enterprises, from whose premises large quantum of unaccounted cash (Rs20 lakh) was seized by the Police authorities, and it is further gathered that various other benami transactions are suspected to have happened with shell companies."
Earlier, it had searched 23 premises in this case it started investigating for money laundering based on FIR registered by DCB, Ahmedabad.