SC issues notice to ED in money laundering case against Journalist Mahesh Langa

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and others, after hearing an appeal filed by the Gujarat-based journalist Mahesh Langa, accused in a money laundering case lodged in connection with two FIRs which included the offence of cheating. Langa, a senior journalist in a national newspaper, moved the apex court after the Gujarat High Court had on August 1 dismissed his regular bail plea in the money laundering case. During the course of the hearing on Monday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the accused Langa, argued that Langa secured anticipatory bail in the first and second FIRs, but in the third FIR he was accused of income tax evasion. After hearing this, Justice Surya Kant said, There are very genuine journalists. But there are people on scooter saying we are patrakaar (Journalists) and what they do, everybody knows. Sibal, however, replied that these were all allegations. Langa approached the top court after being denied regular bail by Gujarat High Court. According to the prosecution, the money laundering case against Langa stems from two FIRs filed by the Ahmedabad Police on charges of committing fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating and causing wrongful loss of lakhs of rupees to certain people. The Gujarat HC had dismissed his regukar bail, after observing that he had a number of antecedents and that while being in custody he had influenced witnesses.