The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned by three months the hearing of a plea filed by journalist Mahesh Langa in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged financial fraud under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Ahmedabad.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi deferred the matter to April 7, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, submitted that the trial was currently underway and requested more time.
Appearing for Langa, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal informed the court that the journalist was cooperating with the proceedings before the special court dealing with the matter.
On December 15, the apex court had granted interim bail to Langa, ordering a day-to-day trial in the case. The court also imposed strict conditions on him, including a bar on writing about his own sub-judice case in any media outlet, and directed him not to seek adjournments before the special court. The charges in the case are yet to be formally framed.
According to the ED, nine witnesses have been named so far in the matter.
Langa was initially arrested in October 2024 in a GST fraud case. He was later taken into custody by the ED on February 25, in connection with a money-laundering probe arising from two FIRs registered by the Ahmedabad Police.
The FIRs accuse him of offences including fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and causing wrongful loss of several lakhs of rupees to individuals.
On July 31, 2025, the Gujarat High Court had denied Langa’s bail plea, citing the potential for prejudice to the prosecution’s case if relief were granted at that stage.
The case continues to draw attention due to the involvement of a journalist in a high-profile financial crime investigation, raising questions about freedom of expression vis-à-vis restrictions during judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court will now review the matter in April 2026.
