The Gujarat High Court on Monday asked why there was a “hue and cry” surrounding the case relating to the alleged involvement of journalist Mahesh Langa in a Goods and Services Tax-related scam, Bar and Bench reported.

Justice Sandeep N Bhatt made the remarks as Langa, who works with The Hindu newspaper in Ahmedabad, withdrew his petition challenging his 10-day remand in police custody in the matter.

The police case hinges on a statement made by a relative of Langa, who claimed he was instructed by the journalist to carry out fraudulent transactions. The police have not found any transactions directly tying Langa to the alleged scam.

The journalist and the others accused in the matter were arrested after the Crime Branch, Economic Offences Wing and Special Operations Group of the Gujarat Police raided 14 locations in the state on October 7.

On October 10, Langa, along with the others arrested in the case, was sent to 10-day police remand by an Ahmedabad court. A day later, Langa moved the High Court against his remand.

At the hearing on Monday, the counsel for Langa told the court that he wanted to withdraw his petition.

Bhatt, in response, questioned his decision to withdraw the plea. The counsel said that he did not have information on it.

Subsequently, Bhatt asked why the case was “so publicised”, adding that every person was the same before the court.

“We don’t want any publicity, at least during the course of adjudication,” he said. “This is not fair.”

Bhatt added: “Whoever it is – even politician, reporter or some normal citizen – the court of law is court of law. When we consider, it is on merits. Why such extra hue and cry?”

Langa’s counsel told the bench that there was nothing against the court.

“It amounts to that impliedly – not by you but whoever is trying to make such attempt,” the judge responded, according to Bar and Bench.

In his petition against the remand, Langa had claimed that the Ahmedabad court issued the order without recording any findings on his involvement in the alleged scam.

The arrest was “politically motivated”, the petition said, adding that the action had been taken to bar Langa from pursuing journalistic activities, Bar and Bench reported.

Langa’s arrest came on a complaint by the Central Goods and Services Tax department, the Crime Branch said.

The complaint pertained to an alleged scam in which several bogus companies were said to have been floated to “defraud the government exchequer by availing bogus input tax credit”, it added.

Ajit Rajian, deputy commissioner of police at the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, told The Hindu on Wednesday that Langa’s wife had been named as the promoter of one such allegedly bogus firm suspected of creating fake bills.

Langa’s lawyer Vedanta Rajguru maintained that the journalist was neither a director nor a promoter of the company, which was mentioned in the first information report, the newspaper reported.

However, the police alleged that Langa managed the company using the names of his wife and relatives.

The company was owned by Langa’s relative Manoj Langa, while his wife is a silent partner with no rights to conduct transactions or access bank accounts, The Hindu reported.

On Thursday, news associations said that Langa’s remand for his alleged involvement in the scam was a “procedural overreach” and a “means to harass” him.

In a joint statement, the Press Club of India, Delhi Union of Journalists, Indian Women’s Press Corps, and the Press Association called Langa a “well-known and fearless” journalist.

The statement added: “Whereas getting to the bottom of the issue is important, we feel that due process should not be compromised and accused persons not unduly harassed under the pretext of extended custodial interrogation.”