Satyendar Jain Money Laundering Case: Delhi Court reserves order on ED plea

The Rouse Avenue Courts' Principal District and Sessions Courts reserved their decision on Thursday on an Enforcement Directorate petition seeking the transfer of a money laundering case involving Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain.

Image Credit: ANI; Representational Image

New Delhi: The Principal District and Sessions Court of Rouse Avenue Courts on Thursday reserved the order on the Enforcement Directorate petition seeking the transfer of a money laundering case related to Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain.The Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta today reserved the order after the conclusion of lengthy arguments made by both sides.The Enforcement Directorate had sought the transfer of the case to another judge. Earlier the matter was heard by Special Judge Geetanjali Goel.Yesterday, Supreme Court had directed Rouse Avenue Court to consider on Thursday a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking the transfer of Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain`s bail hearing.During arguments of ED, ASG SV Raju submitted that there was an attempt to seek medical bail by using false medical reports.

The court didn't take any action. He has been handling the Delhi Prisons too as a Minister and can use power, money and influence.``Jain was also the jail minister, He spent most of the time in the hospital during judicial custody, and the medical report was given fake.. we gave all the documents to the court, but nothing happened," ASG Raju added.Appearing for Satyendar Jain, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that He was shifted to LNJP Hospital as per teh jail manual no violation was held.

When the same judge granted remand to Satyendar Jain then it was fine. ED plea seeking transfer of the case to another is clearly showing malafide contention. The ground taken by the ED is totally vague.On the last date of the hearing, the court had stayed Satyendar Jain`s trial after ED`s plea seeking transfer of the case and issued notice to all accused.On Saturday, ED has moved an application before the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Rouse Avenue Court urging the transfer of Satyendar Jain`s money laundering proceedings to another Judge.

The ED petition has sought the transfer of Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain`s matter to Special Judge Geetanjali Goel after raising certain contentions related to the bail arguments being examined by the court.Special judge Geetanjali Goel, in the past few hearings, had pulled up the agency over its probe in the money laundering case.The Court was presently hearing the lengthy arguments on the bail petitions of Satyendra Jain and the other two co-accused Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain in the matter.

The bail hearing of the accused was at the final stage.All three persons are currently in judicial custody.Senior Advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Satyendar Jain, expressed his displeasure with Special Judge Geetanjali Goel and submitted, "It`s really unfair. Totally uncalled for. They`re preempting things. We`ll oppose it tooth and nail."The ED had arrested Satyendar Jain and two others in a money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against the AAP leader in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act under which he was accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.On September 16, the ED quizzed Jain inside the Jail in relation to the Excise policy case.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel allowed the application moved by the ED seeking permission to question Satyendra Jain in the excise policy case.Recently the court also took cognisance of the Prosecution Complaint (Chargesheet) filed by the ED against Satyendar Jain, his wife and eight others including four firms in connection with the money laundering case. The ED on June 6 claimed to have seized Rs 2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg from Satyendra Jain`s aides during its day-long raid conducted at various places across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

During these raids, the agency also seized various incriminating documents and digital records.The ED had initiated the money-laundering investigation on the basis of a First Information Report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 24, 2017, under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Satyendra Jain, Poonam Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.