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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Satyendra Jain’s plea challenging the decision of the trial court allowing the application moved by ED for transfer of bail application to another judge in a money laundering case against Jain.

Justice Yogesh Khanna while issuing the notice to the ED sought their reply and accordingly, listed the matter for Wednesday, i.e. September 28.

The present plea was filed in view of the order passed by Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta of the Rouse Avenue Court, whereby it was directed that the case will now be heard by Special Judge Vikas Dhull. Earlier, Special Judge Geetanjali Goel was hearing the Jain's bail plea.

After obtaining directions from the Supreme Court, the Principal District and Sessions Judge allowed the transfer application.

Earlier, Justice DY Chandrachud led the bench of the Supreme Court while hearing an SLP filed by Jain challenging the transfer plea made by the ED had said that it could not hear the challenge to the said application. The Court had however directed the Principal District and Sessions Judge to take up the transfer application on September 22 and dispose it of on the same day.

Jain had moved Supreme Court after the Principal District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta of the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi, on Monday had stayed the bail hearing proceedings against Jain in the Money Laundering case.

The bail application filed by Satyendra Jain pertains to his arrest in a Money Laundering case in which he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 31, 2022.

In April, ED attached assets worth Rs 4.81 crore 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.

It is alleged that when Jain was a public servant, companies owned and controlled by him received up to Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies through the Hawala network.