SC Reserves Verdict on Bail Plea of AAP Leader Satyendar Jain in Money Laundering Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the regular bail plea of senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. The bench, led by Justice Bela M Trivedi, heard arguments from senior counsel AM Singhvi, representing Jain, and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Jain, arrested by the ED on May 30 last year, is accused of money laundering through companies allegedly linked to him.

The case originated from a 2017 CBI FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Jain contested the Delhi High Court’s April 6 decision denying him bail in the money laundering case. The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail on medical grounds on May 26, which was subsequently extended.

Despite extending the interim bail, the Supreme Court cautioned Jain against using the case’s pendency to delay trial proceedings. The court emphasized that the interim order couldn’t persist for an extended period. The Delhi High Court, in its April 6 ruling, dismissed Jain’s bail plea, citing witnesses’ claims of his involvement in the alleged crime.

The high court expressed concerns about Jain’s influence and potential to tamper with evidence. While he was granted regular bail in a CBI case in 2019, the ED contended that Jain sought repeated adjournments in the trial court, citing his pending bail plea in the Supreme Court. The probe agency accused Jain of taking 16 adjournment dates in the trial court. The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the matter.