A local court in the national capital has agreed to conduct an early hearing into the bail petition of Delhi Health Minister and AAP Legislator Satyendar Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for corruption charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Rouse Avenue Court will take up Jain’s plea on October 28 at 2 pm.
The Rouse Avenue Court had earlier fixed October 31 as the next date of hearing in the case, but following an application filed on behalf of Jain, the court agreed to take up his petition tomorrow.
Earlier on October 11, the Supreme Court had issued notice to ED in connection with the petition filed by Jain, challenging transfer of case registered against him under the PMLA to a new Judge.
The Bench of Justice M.R. Shah and Justice Krishna Murari sought reply from the ED and posted the case for further hearing on October 31.
Earlier on October 10, 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 October 11.
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.
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 under PMLA.