Aam Aadmi Leader and former cabinet minister of the Delhi Government Satyendar Jain’s interim bail granted to him on medical grounds in the money laundering was extended by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Division Bench ordered the medical records of Satyendar Jain to be placed on record before 24th July 2023.
It was requested by Additional Solicitor SV Raju appearing for the Enforcement Directorate General that Mr. Jain should get himself admitted at AIIMS for independent evaluation. However, the Hon’ble Court asked for the medical records to placed on record first.
Mr. Jain was granted interim bail on 26th May, 2023 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for six weeks to seek treatment at a private hospital. The bench further added that Mr. Jain shall not speak to the media “to make any statement on any issue” and shall not attempt to influence the witnesses. The bench however rejected ED’s objection, stating that it may be considered at a later stage.
BACKGROUND
When Jain became a minister in the Delhi government in 2015–2016, the Central Bureau of Investigation charged him and others of laundering money totaling Rs. 11.78 crore from 2010–2012 and Rs. 4.63 crore from the same year. It was claimed that three businesses—Paryas Infosolution, Indo Metalimpex, Akinchan Developers, and Mangalayatan Projects—were involved in the money-laundering operation.
Jain is said to have paid entry operators of many shell businesses with offices in Kolkata for lodging entries through his colleagues. After “layering them through shell companies,” the entry operators reportedly redirected the funds in the form of investments through shares in Jain-affiliated companies.
According to the Directorate of Enforcement’s complaint, Jain allegedly executed conveyance deeds for Prayas Infosolutions to purchase agricultural property in 2011 and 2012. The central agency has also claimed that the land was subsequently transferred to relatives of Jain’s friends, who denied being aware of the moves.
In the money laundering case against Jain and others last year, the ED attached properties worth Rs. 4.81 crores that belonged to five firms and others. According to reports, these assets were registered in the names of Akinchan Developers, Indo Metal Impex, Paryas Infosolutions, Mangalayatan Projects, and J.J Ideal Estate, among others. Since May 30, 2022 the Aam Aadmi Party leader has been detained in relation to the money laundering investigation.
A trial court denied the former cabinet minister’s bail application in November of last year, stating that it had prima facie been established that Jain was “actually involved” in concealing the proceeds of crime by paying cash to Kolkata-based entry operators and then transferring the money to three companies in exchange for the sale of shares to demonstrate that the income of these three companies was clean.
The Delhi High Court subsequently rejected him bail on the grounds that he was a powerful individual and might tamper with the evidence. As a result, it was determined that the twin requirements of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, had not been met. Co-accused Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain were also denied bail by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma.