On Monday, the Supreme Court extended the interim bail granted to AAP leader Satyendar Jain until further orders in a money laundering case. The bench, comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, deferred the matter after Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Jain, argued extensively and later requested an adjournment. The hearing will be listed again tomorrow.
Singhvi provided the court with a detailed overview of the case against his client, emphasizing Jain’s cooperation and asserting that there is no predicate offense against the former minister. He argued that according to the law, assets of a company cannot be attributed to a shareholder or director, questioning how money can be attributed to Jain when it resides in the company.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the probe agency during the hearing.
The hearing witnessed several twists and turns, with Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud explaining why the matter was listed before a different bench combination due to a matter related to the extension of bail. CJI also mentioned a communication from Justice AS Bopanna, indicating his inability to hear the matter due to medical reasons.
Earlier, Jain’s bail plea was partially heard by a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Bela M. Trivedi. Today’s hearing is listed before a bench of Justice Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.
Jain has been granted interim bail on medical grounds and has undergone surgery on July 21. The interim bail is extended from time to time based on medical conditions.
On May 26, the Supreme Court granted Jain interim bail for six weeks in the money laundering case, imposing various conditions, including refraining from speaking with the media and leaving Delhi without permission. Jain was also given the right to choose any hospital for his medical treatment.
Satyendar Jain moved to the Supreme Court to seek bail in the money laundering cases, challenging the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of his bail plea. The Delhi High Court had dismissed Jain’s bail plea on April 6, citing concerns about his influence and potential to tamper with evidence. The High Court had reserved the order on March 21 after multiple hearings.
Satyendar Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022, under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate and is currently in judicial custody. The ED case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint alleging that Jain acquired movable properties from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for.
