The Delhi High Court today issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea lodged by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain against the trial court order summoning him in a money laundering case.
The trial court had also taken cognisance of the ED chargesheet in July 2022 and issued summons to the AAP leader. Though the investigation agency opposed issuance of notice on Satyendar Jain’s petition challenging summons, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna went ahead and issued formal notice.
Appearing for ED, Advocate Vivek Gurnani contended that the AAP leader came after years and summons were issued in July 2022. He added that the leader had come only when the ED took the argument in opposition to their default bail. Meanwhile, Senior Advocate N Hariharan appeared for Jain and said that he will answer all these arguments.
Previously, the Delhi High Court had in May issued notice to the ED on Jain’s plea for default bail. Satyendar Jain in that petition has challenged the Rouse Avenue Court’s order denying him the relief. AAP leader Jain is currently in jail in the case.
The ED’s case against Satyendar Jain stems from the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under Sections 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) read with 13(e) (disproportionate assets) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The matter was registered on the allegation that Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons between 2015 and 2017 which he could not satisfactorily account for.
Later, the ED also registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and alleged that multiple companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries amounting to Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through a hawala route.
In March 2024, the top court had rejected the bail plea of Jain and asked to surrender before jail authorities immediately. Satyendar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022 and remained on medical bail for many months before the Supreme Court cancelled his bail in March 2024 and sent him back to jail.
Last month, the Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court to decide the bail plea filed by the AAP leader without any delay.