Maheshdan Prabhudan Langa Vs State of Gujarat & Ors. (Gujarat High Court)
The Gujarat High Court dismissed the regular bail plea of journalist Maheshdan Prabhudan Langa, who was arrested in connection with a GST fraud case. Langa was accused of wrongfully availing Input Tax Credit (ITC) through fake invoices and bogus firms, amounting to ₹8.5 lakh. His counsel argued that he had cooperated with the investigation, was willing to repay the amount, and that his arrest was politically motivated due to his journalistic work. The defense also cited past judgments stating that creating false bills does not amount to forgery under IPC provisions. However, the court noted multiple similar FIRs against Langa and observed that the investigation was still in progress.
The State opposed bail, citing concerns of money laundering and the use of forged documents to establish shell firms. The prosecution alleged that funds from the fraudulent ITC claims were transferred through multiple accounts and possibly laundered internationally. The court found the allegations serious, with over 1,500 fake invoices involved, and ruled that granting bail at this stage would be premature. Given the ongoing investigation and multiple pending cases, the court refused bail, emphasizing the wider implications of the fraud on the tax system.
