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In April 2022, ED attached assets worth Rs. 4.81 crores linked to Jain and his family. ED initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jain and others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan of the Delhi High Court, on Monday, issued a notice in response to a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, seeking a deferment of trial court proceedings in a 2017 money laundering case registered against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The petition urged the Court to delay the framing of charges until further investigation into the case, as well as a related corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is completed. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also sought a temporary suspension of proceedings, citing the need to file a supplementary prosecution complaint incorporating recent developments in the case.
During the hearing, Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain representing ED informed the Court that he partially supported Jain’s plea, contending that the deferment would not prejudice the AAP leader, as it aligned with a portion of his own request. Hossain further apprised the Court of recent developments in the 2017 disproportionate assets case against Jain, which remained under investigation by both the ED and the CBI.
According to Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain, the CBI had filed a supplementary chargesheet, expanding the scope of the alleged proceeds of crime linked to Jain. He stated that the quantum of disproportionate assets had risen from ₹1.47 crores to ₹3 crores, and the trial court had already taken cognizance of these new findings.
Given these developments, Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain urged the High Court to defer further trial court proceedings in the money laundering case until the ED could incorporate the updated details into its supplementary prosecution complaint.
Background:
The ED arrested Jain on May 30, 2022, in connection with this case, which originated from a CBI FIR filed against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Jain had secured bail in the CBI case in September 2019. The Supreme Court, despite initially granting interim bail to Jain based on medical reasons, ultimately rejected his regular bail plea and ordered him to surrender promptly.
Prior to this, the High Court had also declined Jain's petition for regular bail in the money laundering case. The court cited statements from co-accused implicating Jain as the mastermind behind the operation, expressing concerns over his potential influence and the possibility of tampering with evidence if released on bail.
However, in October 2024, the Trial Court granted bail to Satyendar Jain noting that “Considering the delay in trial and long incarceration of 18 months, and the fact that the trial will take long to start, let alone conclude, accused is favourably suited for the relief”.
Petitioner: Senior Advocate N Hariharan Respondent: Special Counsel Zoheb HossainCase Title: Satyendar Kumar Jain v Directorate Of Enforcement (CRL.M.C.-9027/2024)
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