Journalist Mahesh Langa coerced victims with media influence: ED

Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that journalist Mahesh Langa, who is languishing in jail since his arrest in October last year, was involved in "cheating and extortion" by leveraging his connections in the media.

"His use of influence, both political and media-related, was aimed at ensuring that the victims were intimidated and unable to pursue legal recourse," ED has alleged in its investigation.

ED has claimed in the prosecution complaint (equivalent to a police chargesheet) filed last month, that Langa allegedly "threatened to tarnish the complainants’ reputations by publishing defamatory news articles unless they paid him large sums of money. This form of media manipulation was found central to his extortion activities, which caused an undue loss to the tune of lakhs of rupees to various individuals."

"Mahesh Langa's financial dealings involved constant manipulation, false promises, and evasions when confronted with demands for repayment. His use of influence, both political and media-related, was aimed at ensuring that the victims were intimidated and unable to pursue legal recourse," the complaint alleges. Langa, a senior journalist with The Hindu in Gujarat, was arrested by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch on October 8 last year in a GST fraud case. Since then, six other FIRs have been registered against him.

"A key part of Mahesh Prabhudan Langa's modus operandi was leveraging his alleged connections in the media. He threatened to tarnish the victim's reputations by publishing defamatory news articles unless they paid him large sums of money. This form of media manipulation was found central to his extortion activities," ED has concluded in its findings.

The prosecution complaint, accessed by DH, has details about attachment of a commercial property worth Rs70 lakh which, the agency claimed, Langa purchased with proceeds of crime in the name of his wife, Kajal. Langa has told the central agency that it was purchased for around Rs29 to 30 lakh and the "source of funds was the earning/savings of myself and my wife, Kavita Langa."

ED has stated that the trail of money for purchasing the office premises "revealed that the payment of Rs29 lakh was made from the account of Kavita Langa...which, in turn had receipts from the bank account of Mahesh Prabhudan Langa…" The money trail allegedly revealed that Langa transferred Rs15 lakh and Rs13 lakh to Kavita on May 31 and June 7, 2024 and Kavita transferred Rs29 lakh to Brixtone Infrabase towards the purchase of property.

ED has claimed that Langa bought office premises in the name of his wife, Kavita, "out of funds acquired through cheating and extortion from Pranay Shah and Janakbhai Thakor." ED's case is based on two FIRs filed by Shah, the director of Khushi Advertising Ideas Pvt Ltd, and Thakor, a real estate broker. They have alleged that Langa extorted money from them after promising positive news coverage in the media.

Shah paid Langa Rs 23 lakh through Vyomeen Media Pvt Ltd, a private firm which runs media startup NewsReach which deals with public relations. Later, Shah paid Rs 5.68 lakh for Langa's wife Kavita's birthday party. While Thakor is a real estate broker who paid Langa a total of Rs 40 lakh.

On his association with Pranay Shah, Darshan Shah of Vyomeen Media, told the ED that Hetal, wife of Pranay Shah, is one of the investors and shareholders in his company. "They met through online platform "Jitojiff" which is basically a startup funding and investment community." He also said that Shah invested Rs35 lakh in the company in the name of Hetal.

Darshan also told the ED officials that he didn't know Langa "in personal capacity" and met him once "professionally in an event." Darshan paid Langa under the head 'consultancy charges." He, however, said that Langa never provided him any consultancy. "Since the money was to be sent to him and to maintain the proper paper trail, they showed the said amount was being given under consultancy charges," he is quoted as saying in the ED's complaint.

Langa was arrested by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch in October in an alleged GST fraud case and has been behind bars. Following the arrest, five more FIRs were filed against him including, two by DCB, Ahmedabad, two in Rajkot, one each in Gandhinagar and Satellite police station in Ahmedabad. These cases deal with cheating, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, among other charges.