MAHESHDAN PRABHUDAN LANGA Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The applicant has filed the present application Under Ss. 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for being enlarged on Regular Bail in connection with the offence being ECIR No. ECIR/AMZO/20/2024 dtd. 26/11/2024 registered with Directorate of Enforcement, Ahmedabad Zonal office, Ahmedabad, for the offences under Ss. 3 , 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

(2.) Learned senior counsel Mr. S.N. Soparkar appearing for the applicant has submitted that, the applicant is a senior journalist, working as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Hindu, a very prominent newspaper, and also covers Gujarat as its correspondent. Though, the applicant has been arrested in connection with the present offence on 20/2/2025, he is in custody since 7/10/2024 in connection with the offences registered against the applicant one after the other.

(3.) Learned senior counsel and Advocate General Shri Kamal Trivedi appearing for the Respondent has submitted that the predicate offence and the offence under the provisions of the PML Act are different and distinct from each other. Predicate offence may be a cognizable offence or a non-cognizable offence or may be compoundable and bailable, where the question of bail would not arise. Nonetheless, the offence under PML Act can be registered and grant of anticipatory bail in a predicate offence by itself would not entitle the accused for being enlarged on bail in the offence under the PML Act.