Gujarat HC denies relief to retired IAS officer SK Langa

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected retired IAS officer S.K. Langa’s application challenging a Gandhinagar sessions court’s decision to place him in custody on charges of corruption, alleged criminal misconduct as a public servant, and causing financial loss to the state exchequer.

Justice Samir Dave indicated his inclination to reject the petition, prompting Langa’s advocates to withdraw it. The principal district judge in Gandhinagar had previously ordered a five-day custodial remand for Langa based on demands for interrogation by the investigating officer.

Langa was arrested in Abu on Wednesday following an FIR filed on May 17 relating to his time as the Gandhinagar district collector between April 2018 and September 2019. The case revolves around the misappropriation of assets worth crores and a loss of ₹20 crore to the exchequer.

Langa’s counsel contended that as a district collector, he had made nearly 4,000 decisions using his quasi-judicial powers. They acknowledged that these decisions may be incorrect, but they should not be deemed illegal, especially since his orders remained unchallenged. DeshGujarat