After arrest by ED, Gujarat Samachar owner Bahubali Shah released on interim bail
AHMEDABAD: A court in Ahmedabad on Friday granted bail to Bahubali Shah till May 31 on health grounds after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
Earlier, the ED had detained Shah, one of the owners of the leading Gujarati newspaper ‘Gujarat Samachar’, following a raid on their premises here.
Principal district and sessions judge K M Sojitra ordered Shah’s release on interim bail while adjourning the hearing on his application for regular bail to May 31.
The sessions court directed Shah, 73, to furnish a surety and personal bond of Rs 10,000. It also imposed the condition that the investigating agency must be informed about his health status every other day, and he must cooperate with the investigation subject to his medical condition.
The ED, which arrested Shah at 8 pm on Thursday, did not oppose interim bail, stating it was giving its consent “strictly on humanitarian grounds and extreme medical condition of the accused.”
Bahubali Shah is one of the directors of Lok Prakashan Limited, which owns the Gujarat Samachar. His elder brother, Shreyansh Shah, 85, is the managing editor of the daily.
Tushar Dave, head of digital services at GSTV, a Gujarati news channel run by Shreyansh Shah, said on Friday that the ED has detained Bahubali Shah.
In a Facebook post, Dave said Shah was first taken to VS Hospital by the ED and then admitted to Zydus Hospital in the city after his health condition deteriorated.
The federal anti-money laundering agency has not yet issued any statement about the reasons behind its action. The Income Tax department searched the GSTV premises in Ahmedabad for nearly 36 hours. The ED raided the premises on Thursday evening, soon after I-T officials left, Dave said in another Facebook post.
Gujarat MLA and Congress state working president Jignesh Mevani slammed the ED, saying Gujarat Samachar and its owners are being targeted because, for the last 25 years, the newspaper has been publishing reports critical of the central government.
The Congress has flayed the Enforcement Directorate action against Gujarat Samachar founder, saying anyone raising their voice against the government or not compromising with the BJP will have to go to jail.
In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government is putting pressure on independent media, which is fatal for democracy.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent interview in which he had said, ‘Criticism is the soul of Democracy’, Kharge said by getting the founder of Gujarat Samachar arrested by ED, “Modi ji has proved that arresting critics is the first sign of a scared dictator”.
“Whoever raises voice against this government, and who does not compromise with BJP, will have to go to jail.
The government putting pressure on independent media and using it to its own advantage is fatal for democracy,” Kharge charged.
Congress’ head of media department Pawan Khera said, “Late last night the ED arrested Bahubali Bhai Shah of Gujarat Samachar. The 93-year-old newspaper has been a bold anti establishment voice. This is the fate of those who have the guts to openly say that The emperor is naked.”
Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh also said in a post on X, “We admire the guts “Gujarat Samachaar” have always shown over the years. At least there are some people left in Media who have the courage to stand up and do impartial reporting.”
“I am sure it is just ‘witch hunting’ to harass the owners, ultimately they would come out Clean. We all stand by them,” he also said.
Criticising the government’s action, Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil charged, “In the Modi government, severe punishment is given for writing and speaking the truth - the latest case is from Gujarat.”
“Bahubalibhai Shah, 73-year-old director of ‘Gujarat Samachar’ has been arrested. His only crime was that he was continuously asking questions to the government and fixing their responsibility. But...The BJP government is not used to answers and accountability, so by sending ED, they trampled the rights of the fourth pillar of democracy,” he said.
Before this, the X handle of ‘Gujarat Samachar’ was also blocked in India, Gohil claimed.
“This dictatorial and arbitrary attitude of the Modi government is extremely dangerous for the country, against which we all have to raise our voice unitedly,” the Gujarat Congress leader charged in his post.
A host of media bodies, led by the Press Club of India, and including Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Association, Delhi Union of Journalists, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Working News Cameramen’s Association, have expressed deep concern at the arrest of Bahubali Shah by ED.
In a joint statement, the media organisations said the action against Gujarat Samachar reflects a troubling assault on press freedom and
democratic values that uphold the right to free expression in India.
“A respected publication with a long-standing legacy of independent journalism, Gujarat Samachar, has been a vital voice for the people of Gujarat and beyond.
Once again, the arrest by the ED raises questions about the misuse of state machinery to muzzle media houses and suppress dissenting voices,’’ they said.
“The repeated actions by the ED and allied agencies to target the media certainly undermine the fundamental principles of democracy enshrined in the Constitution and erode public trust in institutions,’’ the statement said.
The media bodies demanded utmost transparency regarding the allegations and urged the authorities to ensure due process, fairness, and adherence to the rule of law.
Stating that the media plays a critical role in holding power to account, more so in a functioning democracy, they said that witch-hunting of the media and media persons should stop. “We further urge the government to protect the independence of the press in the interests of a robust democracy. We also call for the immediate release of the owner unless credible evidence is presented in a transparent manner,’’ the joint statement said.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS
