The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice on a regular bail plea moved by journalist Mahesh Langa in a money laundering case linked to two cheating FIRs against the journalist, LiveLaw reported.
Langa’s counsel AJ Yagnik reportedly said that more than six months have passed, but no chargesheet has been filed in two cheating cases by local police.
Justice MR Mengdey subsequently issued a notice to the state and the other respondent and listed the matter for hearing on May 1, according to the report.
Langa is currently lodged in Sabarmati jail. He was first booked by the Ahmedabad police's crime branch in an alleged GST scam in October 2024. According to FIR, multiple individuals and organizations, including a firm reportedly owned by Langa’s cousin, were involved in a network of 200 entities that allegedly engaged in fraudulent transactions to avoid taxes.
In the same month, Langa was slapped with another case, this time filed by the Gandhinagar police on theft charges, after official documents were reportedly found from his residence during a raid.
Later, Langa was charged with cheating by the Ahmedabad police, and in December, the Rajkot police booked him in another case of alleged GST evasion. Though Langa was granted bail by the Gujarat High Court in the GST scam case, he remains in jail related to other ongoing cases.
Several press organisations had criticised the second FIR against Langa and had urged the Press Council of India to protect press freedom.
Newslaundry reported in detail on the cases against Langa. Why didn’t local journalists speak up in support of him in the face of so much police action? Read our report to find out.
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