Former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain denied bail in money laundering case by Delhi High Court

Former Delhi Cabinet Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Satyendar Jain, has been denied bail by the Delhi High Court in a money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered the case against him, and Jain has been in jail since May 2022. 

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who presided over the case, held that Jain was an influential person and could not be said to have satisfied the twin conditions for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The judge added that there were chances that Jain might tamper with the evidence. 

Jain had challenged the trial court's order that rejected his bail plea on November 17, 2022. The High Court heard Jain's senior advocate, N Hariharan, and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing the ED, for over a month before finally reserving its verdict. 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had initially registered a case against Jain under Sections 13(2) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) read with 13(e) (disproportionate assets) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The case 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.

The ED also registered a case against Jain, alleging that several companies, beneficially owned and controlled by him, received accommodation entries amounting to ₹4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through a hawala route. 

The High Court's decision means that Jain will remain behind bars. The case has attracted significant attention in the media and political circles, given Jain's position as a senior AAP leader.