The Hindu newspaper has appealed to the Gujarat Police to dismiss charges against its Ahmedabad correspondent, Mahesh Langa, who has been accused of possessing confidential government documents.
The case emerged after Langa allegedly obtained materials related to the Gujarat Maritime Board, leading the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against him on October 22, while he was already in custody for a separate Goods and Services Tax (GST)-related case.
The editor of The Hindu, Suresh Nambath, condemned the charges, stating that such actions undermine the fundamental rights of journalists to conduct investigative reporting in the public interest. Nambath emphasised that journalists frequently handle documents, some confidential, as part of their work to bring information of public relevance to light.
He raised concerns about the Gujarat Police’s classification of Langa’s FIR as "sensitive," thereby restricting public access to details of the case, which he found troubling for transparency.
The charges against Langa connect him to an investigation into alleged financial fraud involving his cousin, Manoj Langa, who owns DA Enterprise. The company is one of six businesses accused of unlawfully claiming input tax credits under a single Permanent Account Number (PAN) to allegedly defraud the GST system.
Reports indicate that Manoj Langa claimed to have received instructions from Mahesh Langa to perform fraudulent transactions. Langa’s wife is noted as a silent partner in one of the firms, though without transaction rights or access to accounts. However, Langa’s counsel argued that he has no direct role or authority in these companies and is neither a director nor a promoter.
In support of the embattled journalist, N Ram, director of The Hindu Publishing Group, affirmed that journalists play an essential role in obtaining and processing sensitive documents. He argued that penalising journalists for accessing such information could severely restrict investigative journalism.
Langa was detained on October 7 and remains in judicial custody at Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Central Jail as the legal proceedings continue.