The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to journalist Mahesh Langa in a money-laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of two other cases of alleged cheating, Live Law reported.

Langa, a journalist with The Hindu in Ahmedabad, was first arrested by the city Crime Branch on October 7, 2024, for his alleged involvement in a Goods and Service Tax-related scam. On February 20, he was arrested in the money-laundering case.

The Supreme Court, while granting Langa interim bail on Monday, directed him to furnish bail bonds as per the instructions of the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant also directed him not to write any articles about the allegations against him, Live Law reported.

The bench directed the special court to take up the case on a daily basis to record the statements of nine witnesses.

The bench also asked Langa and his counsel to cooperate with the special court, and not seek an adjournment on the grounds that proceedings to quash the case are pending before the High Court, The Indian Express reported.

The Supreme Court will hear the matter next on January 6. It has directed the Enforcement Directorate to file a status report on that date on Langa’s compliance with the court’s directions.

The court warned that the interim bail would be cancelled in case Langa does not comply with its directions, Live Law reported.

During the hearing on Monday, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate opposed the bail saying that a journalist allegedly extorting money was a serious matter.

In response advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Langa said: “Industrialists targeting journalists is also serious.”

Allegations against Langa

At least seven cases have been filed against Langa. These include five FIRs by the Gujarat Police and two cases by the Enforcement Directorate.

Langa was first arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on October 7 in an alleged Goods and Services Tax-related fraud.

The police alleged that a company named Dhruvi Enterprise created six firms from a single Permanent Account Number to fraudulently receive input tax credit. One of the companies named in the FIR is DA Enterprise.

On October 22, 2024, the police registered the second case against Langa for allegedly possessing confidential documents on the Gujarat Maritime Board. The documents were recovered from him during his arrest in the first case.

On October 29, 2024, Langa was booked on charges of allegedly cheating a businessman in Ahmedabad.

On the same day, the Ahmedabad Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate announced it had filed a money-laundering case against Langa and others.