Delhi Court stays Satyendar Jain trial on ED plea seeking transfer of case

The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday stayed the trial court proceedings and bail hearing in connection with Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and others in a money laundering case.

The District Judge on Monday also issued notice to all accused including Satyendar Jain on a plea moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking the transfer of the case to another judge. The Court has fixed the matter for September 30, 2022, for a detailed hearing.

Om Saturday, the ED has moved an application before the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Rouse Avenue Court urging the transfer of Satyendar Jain's money laundering case proceedings to another Judge.

The ED petition has sought the transfer of the matter to Special Judge Geetanjali Goel after raising certain contentions related to the bail arguments being examined by the court.

Special judge Geetanjali Goel, in the past few hearings, had pulled up the agency over its probe in the money laundering case.

The Court was presently hearing the lengthy arguments on the bail petitions of Satyendar Jain and the other two co-accused Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain in the matter. The bail hearing of the accused was at the final stage.

All three persons are currently in Judicial Custody.

Appearing for ED, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju on September 15, informed the court that they were moving a plea of transfer of Satyendar Jain's bail proceedings from the current court.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Satyendar Jain, expressed his displeasure with Special Judge Geetanjali Goel and submitted, "It's really unfair. Totally uncalled for. They're preempting things. We'll oppose it tooth and nail."

The ED had arrested Satyendar Jain and two others in a money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against the AAP leader in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act under which he was accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

On September 16, the ED quizzed Jain inside the Jail in relation to the Excise policy case.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel allowed the application moved by the ED seeking permission to question Satyendar Jain in the excise policy case.

Recently the court also took cognisance of the Prosecution Complaint (Chargesheet) filed by the ED against Satyendar Jain, his wife and eight others including four firms in connection with the money laundering case.

The ED on June 6 claimed to have seized Rs 2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg from Satyendra Jain's aides during its day-long raid conducted at various places across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). During these raids, the agency also seized various incriminating documents and digital records.

The ED had initiated the money-laundering investigation on the basis of a First Information Report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 24, 2017, under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Satyendar Jain, Poonam Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

(ANI)

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