Gujarat clerk dies in hospital 2 weeks after arrest over leaked documents
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Ahmedabad: Nishidh Jani, a clerk at the government-run Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), who was arrested on September 17 for allegedly providing sensitive board documents to journalist Mahesh Langa, died shortly after being admitted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Monday night, police said.
The Gandhinagar Police, investigating the case based on the FIR filed on October 22, 2024, had named Langa as the prime accused in the alleged theft and possession of confidential GMB documents.
DySP DT Gohil of the Gandhinagar City Division, overseeing the investigation, said Jani had been suffering from a lung-related ailment since January 2025 and was on sick leave until rejoining the GMB earlier this September. “Jani was arrested on September 17, 2025, after investigations found he had given the documents to Langa. He was presented before the court the next day, sent to police custody for a day, and then placed in judicial custody on September 19 at Sabarmati Central Jail,” Gohil said.
The officer added that prior to Jani’s arrest, medical opinions had been sought from Gandhinagar Civil Hospital doctors. “Doctors confirmed he was fit for arrest, with normal CT scans and blood oxygen at 96. Medical tests were also conducted before sending him to judicial custody,” he said. Earlier this year, the Gujarat High Court had questioned police over the delay in arresting Jani, to which authorities had responded that he was on bed rest.
An Accidental Death (AD) report has been filed at Ranip police station in connection with Jani’s death, Bharatkumar Rathod, DCP Zone-2 of Ahmedabad City Police, confirmed.
The case against Langa is part of a broader legal history. Since October 7 last year, he has faced five FIRs. In the GMB-related case, Langa had received anticipatory bail from the Gujarat High Court earlier this year. The Gandhinagar Police had approached the Supreme Court challenging the order, but the hearing, scheduled for September 18, did not take place. The matter is now posted for October 14, 2025.
The first FIR against Langa is linked to his alleged involvement in operating a benami firm, one of a network of 220 shell companies reportedly involved in nationwide GST fraud, investigated primarily by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI).
The second FIR, filed by Gandhinagar Police on October 22, 2024, accused Langa of theft and possession of confidential GMB documents.
The third FIR, lodged by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Ahmedabad City Police, involves alleged cheating of a businessman to the tune of Rs 28.68 lakh.
The fourth FIR, filed by the Rajkot Crime Branch through its Economic Offences Wing, pertains to alleged GST evasion.
The fifth FIR, registered at Satellite police station in Ahmedabad on January 23, 2025, was based on a complaint by Janak Arjun Thakor, a 32-year-old farmer and land broker from Daskroi taluka, in which Langa was booked for allegedly extorting Rs 40 lakh from the complainant.
Following these FIRs, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched two separate investigations against Langa.
