Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court granted bail on Friday to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case.
Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30, 2022, accused of laundering money through four companies allegedly connected to him.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated, “Considering the delay in trial and the long incarceration of 18 months, and the fact that the trial will take long to start, let alone conclude, the accused is favorably suited for the relief.”
Jain was released on a bail bond of ₹50,000, accompanied by two sureties of the same amount.
Jain faces accusations of laundering money through the four companies linked to him. He previously challenged a trial court’s May 15 decision, which denied him default bail. Following his petition, the high court issued a notice on May 28 seeking the ED’s response.
Jain argued that the ED failed to complete its investigation within the statutory timeframe and that an incomplete charge sheet was filed solely to deprive him of his right to default bail under Section 167(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
His arrest is part of a broader investigation stemming from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR filed in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Notably, Jain had previously been granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019, in the CBI case. Two other individuals, Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, were also arrested by the ED on June 30, 2022, as part of the ongoing investigation.
The court’s decision to grant bail underscores the complexities of the case and the protracted nature of legal proceedings, which have kept Jain incarcerated for an extended period. As the situation unfolds, the implications of this bail decision on Jain’s political career and the ongoing investigations will be closely monitored.
