Former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain denied Bail by High Court

• Image Credit: Internet

• Apr 6, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the agency on May 30, last year, had petitioned the high court after the trial court denied his bail appeal in November of last year.

Digital Desk: Satyendar Jain, a former AAP minister, was denied bail by the Delhi High Court on Thursday in a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. (ED).

While dismissing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's bail application, the high court stated that he is an important person who may tamper with evidence. The high court further stated that there was no illegality or infirmity in the trial court's ruling dismissing the bail request.

"The current court cannot rule on the legality of these proceedings." Certain disproportionate assets were disguised, according to the facts. The court must examine the prima facie case. "The broad probabilities indicate that he (Satyendar Jain) controls and manages the companies associated with him," it stated.

The detailed order is awaited.

Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the agency on May 30, last year, had petitioned the high court after the trial court denied his bail appeal in November of last year.

The high court reserved the order on March 21 after hearing arguments from the ED's and the AAP's counsel.

Satyendar Jain had previously stated that he had assisted the Enforcement Directorate with their probe. The former Delhi minister further claimed that the trial court Judge and the ED had severely misinterpreted and misapplied the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) by identifying proceeds of crime only based on accommodations entries. In his submission to the high court, he stated that entering a hotel room is not a chargeable infraction under the PMLA.

The enforcement agency claims that Satyendar Jain's "beneficially owned and controlled" enterprises got accommodation entries totaling 4.81 crore from the shell companies in exchange for monies supplied to Kolkata-based entry operators via a hawala method.

The case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint alleging that Satyendar Jain acquired movable properties in the names of numerous people between February 14, 2015, and May 31, 2017, for which he could not account adequately.