Gujarat High Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Journalist Mahesh Langa's Plea For Quashing FIR Alleging Theft Of 'Confidential Documents'

Justice Sandeep N Bhatt of the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday (January 21) recused from hearing a plea by journalist Mahesh Langa seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him for alleged corruption, criminal conspiracy and theft where he is accused of obtaining "highly confidential government documents".

When the matter was taken up for the hearing, Justice Bhatt orally said, “Not before me.”

The petition seeks quashing and for setting aside an FIR registered at Gandhinagar police station under BNS Sections 316(5) (Criminal Breach of Trust by public servants, bankers, merchants and other professionals), 303(2) (Theft), 306 (Theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master), 61(2) (Criminal conspiracy) and Sections 7(a)(Undue advantage to influence a public servant), 8 (Bribing a public servant), 12 (Punishment for abatement of offences), 13(1)(a) (Criminal misconduct by a public servant), 13(2) (Punishment for a public servant who commits criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. 

The plea claims that it is alleged in the FIR that Langa obtained certain 'highly confidential documents' from Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) though the responsibility of preserving such documents lies with the employees of concerned department. It was alleged that the documents were received by Langa through an unauthorized channel by an "unidentified employee" of GMB and were not provided by Public Information Officer nor was it available on public domain.

The plea claims that the allegations are based on conjecture and prima facie do not establish Langa's involvement. 

Case Title: Maheshdan Prabhudan Langa vs State of Gujarat & Ors.