In the judicial capital, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected the plea for release from custody put forward by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) figurehead Satyendar Jain concerning a money laundering lawsuit. Jain, who was apprehended in May 2022 under the auspices of this litigation, has been under the sanction of medical release since May 2023. The highest court in the land has now mandated his relinquishment.
A duo comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal summarily dismissed Jain’s appeal for release and instructed him to yield to the authorities of the detention facility. Jain’s legal representative contended before the tribunal about his client’s indisposition. Nonetheless, Justice Trivedi decreed that his surrender was imperative. An exhaustive decree will be disseminated later today.
On January 17, the highest court reserved its adjudication regarding the petition for release filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) honcho Satyendar Jain concerning a money laundering lawsuit.
Senior counselor Abhishek Singhvi advocated for Jain’s cause while the additional solicitor general SV Raju represented the interests of the Enforcement Directorate.
Raju posited that Jain continued to exert substantial control over the corporate entities even after relinquishing his role as director, with illicit funds in excess of four crores being funneled through these enterprises via dubious entries. Raju underscored that Jain, by all practical measures, maintained dominion over these corporations through familial proxies and cautioned the tribunal against nullifying the lower courts’ rulings that denied bail to Jain. Singhvi implored the tribunal to meticulously scrutinize all evidence and contextual factors in a comprehensive manner.
In the bygone year of May, the highest court granted interim release to Jain, erstwhile minister in the AAP administration, on grounds of infirmity. The tribunal subsequently extended this provisional release on multiple occasions. Jain’s detention by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2022 pertained to allegations of money laundering via four corporate entities purportedly affiliated with him. He petitioned the highest court in opposition to the decree issued on April 6, 2023 by the Delhi High Court rejecting his standard release plea in the aforementioned lawsuit.
Jain’s apprehension by the ED stemmed from a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the aegis of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Jain has vehemently repudiated these allegations. He was granted standard release by the trial court on September 6, 2019 in connection with the lawsuit instigated by the CBI.