FIR against jailed journalist Mahesh Langa in Rs 40 lakh extortion case

Journalist Mahesh Langa, who is in jail in connection with cases of alleged fraud, has been booked in a fresh matter by the Ahmedabad City Police for allegedly extorting Rs 40 lakh from a land broker, PTI reported on Friday.

The first information report, filed at the Satellite police station in the city, was based on a complaint by 32-year-old land broker Janak Arjun Thakor based in Daskroi area, The Indian Express reported.

This is the fifth FIR and the sixth investigation against Langa, a journalist with The Hindu in Ahmedabad.

In the latest case, Police Inspector HC Zala told PTI that Langa has been booked on Thursday under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that pertains to extortion. Further action will be taken after investigation, Zala said.

Over a period of time, before he was arrested, Langa allegedly extorted a total of Rs 40 lakh by threatening Thakor with causing him financial losses in his land-brokering business “due to his influence” and publishing false newspaper articles against him to defame him, according to the FIR.

Thakor claimed that he did not take legal action against Langa earlier fearing that his reputation would be tarnished but decided to file the complaint after he became aware of other cases against the journalist.

He was arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on October…

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