Delhi HC denies bail to AAP leader Satyender Jain

Delhi HC denies bail to Satyender Jain

The Delhi High Court on April 6, dismissed the bail plea of jailed former AAP minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The High Court also denied bail to two co-accused -- Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, who are accused of "knowingly" assisting Satyender Jain in concealing the proceeds of crime.

The AAP leader had challenged the trial court's November 17, 2022 order by which his bail plea was dismissed on the ground that he was prima facie involved in concealing the proceeds of crime.

The high court had reserved the order on the bail plea on March 21 after hearing arguments of the counsel for the ED and the AAP leader.

Jain was arrested on May 30 2022, by the ED. He is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

The bail pleas of all three accused were opposed by the ED.

The ED's counsel had argued that the AAP leader's stand that there are no proceeds of crime can be "demolished" by the material on record which also shows that he was "in the thick of things".

In its reply filed in the court, the agency has said that the bail plea of Satyendar Jain, who was a sitting minister at the time of the alleged offence, should be dismissed as his release would obstruct further investigation and there is CCTV footage from Tihar jail, where he is in judicial custody, to show that he is an "influential person" who may influence witnesses and frustrate the proceedings.

The ED had arrested Jain in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against Jain in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019, in the case lodged by the CBI.