AHMEDABAD: Nishidh Jani, a Gujarat Maritime Board clerk arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive documents to journalist Mahesh Langa, died in hospital after his health collapsed inside Sabarmati jail. His sudden death amid corruption and GST scam allegations linking him to Langa has raised serious questions.
Jani died under mysterious circumstances just two weeks after his arrest in a sensitive document leak case tied to Langa. Already suffering from a lung-related ailment, he was lodged in Sabarmati Central Prison when his health deteriorated late Monday night.
According to Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty, jail officials rushed Jani to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him dead during treatment. The police officer confirmed that Jani had long struggled with lung problems, but his sudden collapse while in custody has drawn attention.
Jani’s arrest was directly linked to the October 2024 case against Langa after Gandhinagar police recovered confidential Gujarat Maritime Board documents during a raid at the latter's residence. At the time, Langa had already been arrested by the Ahmedabad crime branch in connection with a Goods and Services Tax scam, deepening suspicions of a larger corruption nexus.
Following the GMB’s official complaint, police registered a separate case of document theft and corruption. Investigators soon identified Jani as the insider who allegedly passed the sensitive files to Langa. He was arrested two weeks ago under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions of theft and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
While Langa continues to face multiple probes, Jani’s abrupt death has now cast a shadow on the entire investigation. With the key accused gone, questions linger over how deep the leak network ran inside the Gujarat Maritime Board and whether more names could tumble out.