Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s bail plea rejected

Special Court dismissed the bail plea application of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain who was arrested earlier in connection to an alleged money laundering case.

New Delhi, June 18: A Special Court here on Saturday dismissed a bail application of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain arrested in connection to an alleged money laundering case.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Jain on May 30 in connection with the violation of provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) pertaining to disproportionate assets.

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Special Judge (PC Act) Geetanjali Goyal after hearing the submission on behalf of ED on June 13 had passed an order for 14-day judicial custody of Jain.

On June 14, after hearing arguments on the bail application, the court had reserve its order.

The ED has submitted it conducted raids at the premises of Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Naveen Jain and Siddharth Jain. The Directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd; G.S. Matharoo, Chairman of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust, which runs Prudence Group of Schools; Yogesh Kumar Jain, Director in Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd and father-in-law of Ankush Jain; and Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust and seized various incriminating documents and digital records.

After the CBI filed case in 2017 against Jain his wife Poonam Jain, and Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, the ED had launched the money laundering investigation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a charge sheet on December 3, 2018 against Jain, his wife and the other accused alleging that Jain while holding office as a Minister in the Government of Delhi, during February 14, 2015 and May 31, 2017 had acquired assets which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

On March 31, the ED had earlier attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned and controlled by Jain and arrested Jain on May 30 under sections 19 of the PMLA.

Jain’s counsel during the bail application said he is not a flight risk and in this matter evidence is mostly documentary so cannot be tampered with.

He also said that Jain has been cooperating with the investigating agency and submitted that the AAp leader suffers from sleep apnea so bail may be granted on medical grounds.

The ED opposed the bail application on the ground that the investigation is still underway and evidence may be tampered with if Jain was released at this stage. ED also said Jain was evasive during the investigation.

Goyal after hearing both sides dismissed the plea.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Business Upturn staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)