The Supreme Court on Friday extended the interim bail granted to AAP Leader and former Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain till September 12 in a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
In related developments, Supreme Court Judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra recused himself from hearing the bail plea of the former Delhi Minister.
The case was initially listed before a bench comprising Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra. However, Justice PK Mishra recused from hearing the plea. Subsequently, Justice AS Bopanna scheduled the matter for September 12, following clearance from the Chief Justice of India to transfer the case to another bench.
“Interim order to continue till the next date,” the bench stated.
Jain had undergone surgery on July 21. Earlier, on May 26, the Apex Court had granted interim bail to Satyendar Jain for six weeks in the money laundering case but imposed several conditions, including refraining from speaking to the media and not leaving Delhi without permission. The court had also allowed Jain to select a hospital of his choice for medical treatment, emphasizing that interim bail was being considered due to his medical condition.
Satyendar Jain had approached the Supreme Court seeking bail in the money laundering case after the Delhi High Court had rejected his bail application. His lawyer informed the Supreme Court that he had lost 35 kg of weight and had significantly deteriorated physically due to his health issues.
The Delhi High Court had dismissed Jain’s bail plea on April 6, citing concerns about his potential to tamper with evidence and his inability to meet the conditions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at this stage. The High Court had reserved its order on March 21 after multiple hearings.
In the High Court arguments, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, had asserted that money laundering allegations against Jain and other co-accused were evident.
In his bail plea, Satyendar Jain had stated, “I appeared before the ED on seven occasions. I have cooperated and participated in the investigation. I was arrested 5 years down the line in 2022.”
Satyendar Jain had been arrested on May 30, 2022, under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate and was presently in Judicial Custody. The ED’s case was initiated based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint alleging that Satyendar Jain had acquired movable properties in the names of various individuals between February 14, 2015, and May 31, 2017, without satisfactory accounting.
