The Supreme Court, on Monday, turned down the bail plea of former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain in connection with a money laundering case and directed him to surrender without delay.
Jain, who had been granted interim medical bail on May 26 the previous year, was taken into custody in May 2022 over allegations of exploiting his ministerial position between February 2015 and May 2017 to amass disproportionate assets valued at ₹1.47 crore. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation into the money laundering accusations, purportedly involving three companies linked to him.
A bench comprising justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal stated, “The appeals are dismissed. The petitioner is directed to surrender forthwith.”
Advocate Vivek Jain, representing the former minister, sought an extension for surrendering, citing his client’s poor health condition. However, the court denied the request and upheld its directive.
The ED, which reportedly attached alleged proceeds of crime amounting to ₹4.60 crore in the case, asserted that Satyendra Jain exerted control over the three companies through his wife, Poonam Jain, who served as their director. It argued that the other two accused, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, held significant shares and directorial positions in these companies.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Satyendra Jain, emphasized the shareholding, directorship, and financial control of the companies, contending that the petitioner couldn’t be deemed to have exercised control over them.
Jain had been granted medical bail last year after suffering an injury from a fall in a prison bathroom. He underwent spinal surgery on July 21, 2022.
