Income tax searches are being conducted on at least 24 premises linked to Gujarat Samachar and the family that owns it in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Newslaundry has learnt.
The searches are part of a wider operation carried out by teams from the Mumbai income tax department, with assistance from the SRPF and local police, in Ahmedabad – multiple premises linked to real estate company Iscon Group were also among those searched, police sources said.
The reason behind the searches remains unclear. The income tax department is yet to issue any statement on the searches. Newslaundry reached out to income tax headquarters PRO V Rajitha for comment. This report will be updated if she responds.
Among the locations searched
Searches are being conducted at premises linked to Lok Prakashan Ltd, the publisher of Gujarat Samachar, where editor-in-chief Shreyans Shantilal Shah’s brother Bahubali Shantilal Shah is a director and his son Amam Shreyans Shah is an additional director.
Searches are also underway at premises linked to Gujarat Samachar Ltd, which runs news channel GSTV and has Bahubali Shantilal Shah and Amam Shah as directors. The office of Gujarat Samachar’s online department is also being searched.
Among the locations searched are also the residences of the Shah brothers and Shreyans Shah’s sons Niman Shreyans Shah and Amam Shreyans Shah. Their phones have been seized too, sources said.
Attempts to reach Shreyans Shah remained unsuccessful.
The Shah family’s business interests span across various sectors, including the media, real estate, and finance. Bahubali Shantilal Shah, is a director in 15 companies, including those that operate Gujarat Samachar and GSTV, as well as GCCL Construction and Realities Ltd, Parijat Infrastructure Ltd, Capitanova Financial Services Ltd, and GCCL Housing Finance Ltd. Shreyans Shah is associated with 18 companies and foundations, including GCCL Infrastructure and Projects Ltd and Shreyans and Smriti Investment Ltd. His sons are similarly connected to various business ventures.
‘Staff phones seized’
Around 5.30 am on Wednesday, half a dozen vehicles carrying officials from the Mumbai tax department arrived at the GSTV office on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar highway. They were accompanied by the police.
The building’s main gate was shut and phones belonging to staff were switched off and placed together in a separate area, sources said. Most of those who were on the night shift had been allowed to leave the office at the time of writing this report.
A GSTV employee said that officers had arrived at the office while the night shift was still underway. “Staff from the night shift had not yet left. But after that, others who came in for the morning shift were not allowed to leave the office. Their phones were taken too.”
A staffer from the digital wing said, “Initially, no one was allowed access to their phones, even though we explained we needed them for news work. Eventually, they allowed one person each from the TV and digital teams to use their phones.”
Tax officials questioned employees from the accounts department and examined documents in the building, sources said.
The employee added that while TV and digital operations continued, they had avoided reporting on the searches. “Since we haven’t been able to speak to our editor-in-chief, we’re not running any news related to the searches. We’ll only do so after speaking with him.”
A team of sleuths had gone to the residence of Shreyans Shantilal Shah behind the GSTV building.
Critical voice in Gujarat’s media landscape
Founded in 1932, Gujarat Samachar is known for its critical journalism in a media landscape where many outlets have effectively become echo chambers for pro-government messaging. This has often put the publication at odds with the state administration, which has periodically cut its advertisement revenue.
Recently, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Indian government suspended the X (formerly Twitter) accounts of several media organisations. Among them was Gujarat Samachar’’s digital handle, which remains deactivated.
A staff member from the digital wing told Newslaundry: “We’ve received no official communication. Our X account has been down since May 9.”
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