SC adjourns hearing on Gujarat journalist's plea in money-laundering case to April 7

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned by three months the hearing on a plea filed by journalist Mahesh Langa in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged financial fraud lodged by the Enforcement Directorate in Ahmedabad.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi deferred the matter to April 7 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), informed the court that the trial was proceeding in the matter and sought time.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Langa, informed the court that the journalist was cooperating with the special court.

The top court on December 15 granted interim bail to Langa, ordered a day-to-day trial in the case and imposed certain conditions on the journalist, including asking him not to write any article in any media outlet about his sub-judice case and seek any adjournments before the special court.

The charges are yet to be framed in the case, in which the ED has named nine witnesses.

On July 31 last year, the Gujarat High Court rejected Langa's bail plea in the case on the ground that if he is granted the relief, prejudice would be caused to the prosecution's case.

On February 25, the ED said it arrested Langa in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged financial fraud.

The journalist was first arrested in October 2024 in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case.

The money-laundering case against Langa stems from two FIRs filed by the Ahmedabad Police on charges of fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating and causing wrongful loss of lakhs of rupees to certain people. PTI PKS SJK PKS ARI ARI