Senior Journalist Mahesh Langa
Credit: Facebook/Mahesh Langa
Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached the residence of journalist Mahesh Langa under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleging that it was purchased with "proceeds of crime."
This is the latest setback for the journalist who has been languishing in jail since his arrest in October last year without bail.
During his incarceration six FIRs were registered against him on charges of cheating, extortion, among others. Moreover, ED has registered two cases under PMLA against him.
The adjudicating authority, PMLA, on November 26 confirmed the attachment that included Rs 20 lakh cash which was allegedly seized from Langa's flat in Pushpraj Apartment in Bodakdev on the day of his arrest.
The same flat, registered in the names of Langa and his wife Kavit, purchased in November 2018, has also been attached. The attachment document states its value at Rs 30 lakh.
Earlier, ED had attached a commercial unit Langa was reported to have purchased at Sindhu Bhavan Road in Ahmedabad.
Langa, a senior journalist with The Hindu, was arrested by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch on October 8, 2024 in a GST fraud case. Since then, six other FIRs have been registered against him.
The attachment is based on two FIRs registered against Langa including the one lodged by Ahmedabad crime branch on charges of cheating an advertising firm of Rs 28 lakh and the second one with Satellite police station in which he is accused of extorting Rs 40 lakh from a real estate broker Janak Thakor.
ED has accused Langa of "generating" over Rs 1.18 crore through cheating and extortion.
"Based on the investigation conducted under PMLA, the complainant (ED) has reasons to believe that Mahesh Pabhudan Langa, while projecting himself as a person having close associations with high-ranking officials, politicians, and media personnel, was involved in illegal activities of extortion," the adjudicating authority has mentioned in the order confirming the attachment of Langa's flat.
Meanwhile, with regard to the seizure of Rs 20 lakh cash at his house, Langa had claimed before the police that it belonged to his sister-in-law Nayna, the wife of Langa's cousin Manhar.
Langa had said that she received the money as her share from her father who had sold a piece of land. Nayna, in turn, kept the cash with Langa for sake keeping.
During questioning, Nayna Langa allegedly told ED officials that she never had any financial transaction with Langa or his wife Kavita.