Graft charges: Gujarat HC issues notice to state as ex-IAS officer SK Langa seeks quashing of FIR

The Santej police station FIR, alleging offence commitment by Langa between April 2018 to September 30, was lodged based on a complaint by Kalol mamlatdar Gemini Gadhiya.

He has been charged under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 217 (public servant disobeying the law with the intent to save a person from punishment), 218 (public servant creating incorrect records or documents) as well as under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Langa has been accused of intentionally diverting land initially designated for panjrapol (animal shelter) for commercial purposes by authorising the land parcel for non-agricultural use during his tenure as Gandhinagar district collector.

Before the Santej FIR, an FIR was lodged on May 17 at the Sector 7 police station of Gandhinagar based on a complaint by Dhaivat Dhruv, an official from the district collectorate. Langa and two others were booked under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 168 (public servant unlawfully engaging in trade), 193 (false evidence), 196 (using evidence known to be false), 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of record of public register), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC as well as under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

As per the FIR, Langa was accused of clearing several files related to granting non-agricultural (NA) status to land parcels during the last days before his retirement.

Over 5,904 decisions related to land parcels taken by Langa as the collector are under the scanner. He is accused of violating rules and legal provisions related to land in granting non-agricultural status in the district.

Submitting that the Santej FIR is a “total copy-paste” of the previous FIR, Nanavaty, arguing on behalf of Langa, submitted before the court on Tuesday that Langa has not been arrested so far for the Santej police station FIR and remains in judicial custody over the Gandhinagar Sector 7 FIR. Langa was arrested on July 11.

Nanavaty further added that the Santej police station FIR has been “kept ready for re-arrest”. “As of today I’m in judicial custody, it (Santej police station FIR of October) is just kept ready so that in case (of) I’m granted bail. On the date of filing of chargesheet (in the earlier FIR of May), this (October) FIR is filed,” submitted Nanavaty.

The court is due to take up the matter next on February 2.