CMO instructs top cop to take appropriate action on B'luru businessman's complaint
Businessman had alleged fraud, extortion from his brother cum working partner
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has instructed the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to look into the matter and take appropriate action in a complaint filed by a city-based businessman alleging cheating, blackmailing, extortion, and forcibly obtaining signatures on blank papers by his brother.
According to the complainant Mohammed Fahim, he has been distributing Cigarettes and other products by the name M/s M.A Associates for over 16 years. He has further added that he was the sole investor of the business while his brother Basheer was a working partner. Fahim’s wife Farheen was reportedly conducting business on behalf of her husband.
Fahim has further alleged that Basheer, breached his trust suppressed the accounts for the financial year 2020-21 and swindled away all the profits, and told his partner Farheen, his brother’s wife that the company has incurred a heavy loss of several crore rupees and made her sign a balance sheet and other documents without showing originals.
The documents he had created were prepared by Chartered accountant Mr. Mylar of M/s Nagesh and Mylar Associates, the complaint added.
When Farheen asked for the original balance sheets and other documents, Basheer allegedly threatened her and began harassing Fahim and Farheen. Fahim had also reportedly attempted suicide due to the harassment of Basheer and was admitted to a private hospital from 19.03.2022 to 30.05.2022.
The complainant said that even when he was in Hospital, Basheer colluded with Chartered Account Mr. Mylar viz., M/s Nagesh and Mylar associates, misused his cheques by forging his signature without his knowledge, and committed fraud by transferring about Rs.3.6 crore rupees. Even after his discharge, the harassment continued as he issued his life threat, and took the signatures of Fahim and Farheen forcibly on blank papers, blank cash vouchers, and e-stamp papers.
The complainant has further said that when he was asked to pay the profit which he had refused earlier, he instead demanded an amount of Rs.1,50,00,000/-. He also threatened Farheen of implicating in false cases and managed to extort money with help of some antisocial elements Rs.12,50,000/- by way of cash and Rs.12,50,000/- by way of cheque on 15.06.2022 with help of a person named Imran Khan Jagirdar proprietor of Hi-tech Engineering, Kormangala.
A complaint in this regard was filed before the police against Basheer and a copy of the complaint was also sent to the CMO. The CMO has now instructed the commissioner of police to take appropriate action, and an FIR has been registered at Ashok Nagar Police Station. Basheer, Imran Khan, and Mailar have been named as the accused in the FIR by the police.
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SC regularises interim bail granted to Gujarat-based journalist in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed its earlier order of granting interim bail to journalist Mahesh Langa in a money laundering case linked to a matter involving an alleged financial fraud lodged by the Enforcement Directorate at Ahmedabad.
The top court on December 15 last year had granted the interim bail to Langa and fixed the case for further hearing on April 10.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the probe agency, and said the interim order is confirmed.
The bench agreed to the contention of Mehta that the observations made in the bail order shall not be construed as remarks on merits of the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had represented Langa.
Earlier, opposing the bail plea, the solicitor general had said, "Journalists extorting money and saying that if you do not pay, I will write against you is a serious offence."
The bench had granted the relief and ordered a day-to-day trial in the case and imposed certain conditions on the journalist, including asking him not to write any article in any media outlet about his sub-judice case and seek any adjournments before the special court.
"The petitioner will furnish the bail bonds to the satisfaction of the designated special court under the PMLA," it said, adding, "The special court is directed to take up the case on a day-to-day basis for consideration of charge and if charge is framed, recording the statements of all the nine witnesses."
The bench directed Langa and his counsel in the trial court to extend "full cooperation to the special court", and said "no adjournment shall be sought or permitted on the ground that quashing proceedings are separately pending before the high court".
It said this condition is being imposed as the high court has not granted a stay on the trial proceedings.
"The Directorate of Enforcement shall also cooperate with the special judge for taking up the case on a day-to-day basis," the apex court said.
Langa will be at liberty to raise all legal contentions, objections and defence pleas, and place the material for the special court's consideration in accordance with law, it added.
"The petitioner shall not publish or write any article in his position as an assistant editor of a newspaper with respect to the allegations, which are sub-judice against him, before the special judge at Ahmedabad," the bench said.
It also made it clear that the interim bail is being granted subject to the petitioner's "good conduct and behaviour".
On July 31, last year, the Gujarat High Court rejected Langa's bail plea in the case on the grounds that if he is granted the relief, prejudice would be caused to the prosecution case.
On February 25, 2025, the ED said it arrested Langa in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged financial fraud.
The journalist was first arrested in October 2024 in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case.
The money laundering case against Langa stems from two FIRs filed by the Ahmedabad Police on charges of fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating and causing wrongful loss of lakhs of rupees to certain people.
