SC rejects bail plea of Satyendar Jain in money laundering case, asks to surrender forthwith

Supreme Court of India. File Pic

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain in the money laundering case, asking him to surrender forthwith.

A bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal dismissed the appeal filed by Jain.

The court also rejected the bail plea of the other two co-accused Ankush and Vaibhav Jain.

On May 26, Satyendar Jain was granted interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds and later it was extended from time to time.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had taken court through concurrent findings of the trial court and high court and other details related to the case.

Countering the ED submission, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Jain, had said that his client had been incarcerated for a year. He also remarked that probe agencies are trying to convert an income tax case into a money laundering matter.

The Senior Advocate urged the top court to grant bail to Jain saying that he is not a flight risk and threat to witness. The senior advocate also said that this is a matter of life and liberty for Jain.

The Enforcement Directorate has opposed the bail plea of former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and had submitted before the top court that whenever he wants to be out of jail he moves bail on medical grounds and, stays in hospital. Whenever there is an argument on the bail in the court, he falls down, which is a strange coincidence. However, Jain's counsel called the submission baseless.

Meanwhile, the hearing on Jain's bail witnessed many twists and turns in December 2023, as Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud explained why the matter was listed before a different combination of bench as there was a matter relating to the extension of bail.

CJI also mentioned the communication received from Justice AS Bopanna to take up part heard matter from him because he would not be able to hear the matter due to medical reasons.

Earlier, Jain's bail plea was partly heard by a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Bela M. Trivedi. Later, the matter was listed before a bench of Justice Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.

Jain underwent surgery on July 21 last year. The interim bail given to Jain on medical grounds was extended from time to time.

On May 26, the top court granted interim bail to Satyendar Jain for six weeks in the money laundering case but imposed various conditions, including refusing to talk with the media or leaving Delhi without permission.

Satyendar Jain has moved to the top court seeking bail in money laundering cases. He has challenged the Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case against him.

On April 6, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail plea of Satyendar Jain. The HC while dismissing the Satyendar Jain bail plea, stated that the applicant is an influential person and has the potential to tamper with evidence.

On November 17, 2022, the trial court dismissed the bail petition of Satyendar Jain. He was arrested on May 30, 2022, under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate and is presently in Judicial Custody in the case.

The ED case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint registered on the allegation that Satyendar 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.

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