Ahmedabad, May 17 — A day after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, Bahubali Shah, one of the owners of leading Gujarati daily Gujarat Samachar, was granted interim bail by an Ahmedabad court on Friday. The 73-year-old was released on health grounds till May 31.
Principal district and sessions judge K M Sojitra passed the order while adjourning the hearing on Shah’s regular bail plea to the same date. The court directed Shah to furnish a personal bond and surety of ₹10,000, and ordered that the Enforcement Directorate be kept informed of his health condition every alternate day. Shah must also cooperate with the investigation, subject to his medical state.
The ED, which arrested Shah at 8 pm on Thursday, told the court it was not opposing interim bail “strictly on humanitarian grounds and extreme medical condition of the accused.” Shah is a director at Lok Prakashan Ltd, which publishes Gujarat Samachar. His elder brother Shreyansh Shah serves as managing editor.
After his arrest, Shah was taken first to a government hospital and then to a private facility, where he was admitted to the ICU. Citing a medical certificate from Zydus Hospital dated Friday, the court observed that Shah is suffering from vertigo, a left paramedian infarct, drowsiness, and blurry vision.
The court said that releasing him on interim bail during the pendency of the regular bail hearing would serve the interest of justice. Shah’s lawyer told the court that arguments for regular bail were being deferred for now, and the interim bail plea was based solely on humanitarian grounds.
While the ED has yet to disclose the reasons for Shah’s arrest, searches were conducted at the offices of GSTV, a news channel owned by Shreyansh Shah, on Thursday. These came shortly after a 36-hour search by the Income Tax department.
Congress MLA and Gujarat party working president Jignesh Mevani alleged the media house was being targeted for publishing critical reports on the Union government. Media organisations including the Press Club of India and Indian Women’s Press Corps condemned the arrest, calling it a blow to press freedom and democratic principles.
In a joint statement, several national press bodies said the ED action raises serious concerns about state machinery being used to intimidate the media and suppress dissenting voices.
