The Supreme Court issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with a petition filed by former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, challenging transfer of case registered against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to a new Judge.
The Bench of Justice M.R. Shah and Justice Krishna Murari sought reply from ED and posted the case for further hearing on October 31.
Earlier on Monday, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal had mentioned Jain’s plea before Chief Justice of India (CJI) U.U. Lalit, who agreed to list the case for hearing as first matter on Tuesday.
The former minister has challenged the order by the Delhi High Court, which had on October 1, dismissed his plea after he approached them against an order passed by Principal District and Sessions Court Vinay Kumar Gupta of the Rouse Avenue court, allowing ED’s plea for transfer of Jain’s case from judge Geetanjali Goel to judge Vikas Dhull.
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Earlier, Special Judge Geetanjli Goel was hearing the submissions in Jain’s bail plea and while the matter was in its final leg, ED sought transfer of the matter alleging bias on part of the judge.
CBI had registered a case against Jain under Sections 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) read with 13(e) (disproportionate assets) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The case was registered as Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons between 2015 and 2017 which he could not satisfactorily account for. Jain was subsequently arrested on April 5 by the ED on the basis of its investigation into the money laundering aspect.