The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the regular bail plea of former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who was out on interim bail, has also been asked to “surrender forthwith”.
The top court dismissed an oral plea by Jain’s legal representative to grant him a week’s grace period for surrendering. On January 17, the top court had reserved its verdict on his regular bail plea.
Jain, who was granted release from jail on medical grounds for over nine months, will now be returning to prison. Alongside him, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Vijay Nair are also in Tihar.
Earlier on May 26, 2023, the apex court granted the former Delhi minister interim bail on medical grounds for six weeks and it is being extended from time to time.
It should be mentioned here that the former Delhi minister has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case against him. On April 6, 2023, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail plea of Jain. The HC while dismissing the bail plea stated that the applicant is an influential person and has the potential of tampering with evidence.
Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 30, 2022, on allegations of money laundering through four companies purportedly associated with him.
The ED case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint registered on the allegation that Satyender Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for.
(With inputs from agencies)
