The Supreme Court has given a big relief to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, who has been in jail for the last almost a year in the money laundering case. In view of Jain’s deteriorating health, the Supreme Court on Friday (May 26, 2023) granted him an interim bail of 6 weeks. However, he has been barred from moving out of Delhi.
The vacation bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice PS Narasimha has given this interim bail of 6 weeks to Satyendar Jain to get his treatment done in any hospital in Delhi. However, the Supreme Court has also set certain conditions for Jain. He will have to follow it during the interim bail period.
Supreme Court grants AAP leader Satyendar Jain interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds with conditions. He cannot leave Delhi without permission and cannot make any statement before the media. pic.twitter.com/nJtcDY6nx8
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2023
The Supreme Court bench said that during this period Satyendar Jain will not make any statement in the media on any issue nor will he try to influence any witness. The bench ignored the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) objection to bail to Jain. The ED told the court that Jain’s health should be independently assessed by Delhi AIIMS.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing in the Supreme Court on behalf of Satyendar Jain, demanded bail for Satyendar Jain on medical grounds in the court. However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, said that Jain’s health should be assessed at Delhi AIIMS or Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Raju argued in the court that he questioned the medical certificate issued by Delhi’s Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital regarding Satyendar Jain’s health. He said that Satyendar Jain has been the Health Minister of Delhi and these hospitals have been under him. In this case, these medical certificates can be fake.
On this, the bench asked why ASG Raju did not believe in the medical records. Responding to this, ASG Raju said that Satyendar Jain’s earlier deeds raise doubts. Earlier, Jain had sought bail on medical grounds, then ED had demanded AIIMS doctors to conduct the investigation. After this Satyendar Jain had withdrawn his application.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital is a mandatory referral hospital for Tihar Jail. He argued in the court that Satyendar Jain had muscular atrophy, in which the muscles become weak, and his weight had decreased by 35 kg. After hearing this argument, the Supreme Court accepted the petition for interim bail.
Explain that in the year 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused Satyendar Jain and others of money laundering of Rs 11.78 crore during 2010-2012 and Rs 4.63 crore during 2015-16. In the year 2015-16 itself, he became a minister in the Delhi government. The CBI has said in its allegation that money was laundered by Satyendar Jain through Prayas Infosolution, Indo Metallimpex, Akinchan Developers and Mangalayatan Projects.
Satyendar Jain had given money through these shell companies to the entry operators of some different shell companies based in Kolkata. The entry operators then allegedly rerouted the money in the form of investments after ‘layering through shell companies’ through shares in companies linked to Jain. After the money laundering case came to light in this, the ED later registered the case.
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