New Delhi A Delhi court has extended the custody of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till June 13. The agency had detained him in a money laundering case related to a Kolkata-based company.
Delhi Health Minister And the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also filed a bail application in the court through his lawyer.
ED seized 2.82 crore cash and 133 gold coins from unexplained sources, after a day’s search at the minister’s house on June 6. The ED said the total movable assets were seized from an “unexplained source” and were found “secretly” in the raided premises.
Jain is the Minister of Health, Power, Home, PWD, Industries, Urban Development, Flood, Irrigation and Water. Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal,
Jain was produced before the Rouse Avenue district court on Thursday after nine days of ED custody following his arrest on May 30.
After the hearing, Jain was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up, as he complained of medical problems.
Special Judge Geetanjali Goel extended the remand of Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain By Monday. “He will be produced on Monday at 10.30 am,” the court said. Earlier, they had extended Jain’s stay till June 9, as their judgment required unearthing of a larger conspiracy.
The ED had sought extension of Jain’s custody by five days so that he can be confronted with the evidence and documents found during the period of custody.
ED’s Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju said that during remand they conducted eight searches of the premises of Lala Sher Singh Memorial Trust, where Satyendar Jain was the chairman.
However, Jain has denied that he was part of the trust during the interrogation.
On the other hand, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and N Hariharan opposed the extension of the remand saying that the seizure has nothing to do with Jain. “The ED has not asked any questions about the goldsmith and the jeweler in the last two days,” he said.
Senior advocates said before the court, “ED does not have the authority to investigate fresh seizures. They should have informed other agencies for investigation.”
He submitted that the alleged money laundering offense had ended when the agricultural land was attached by the ED.
He also argued that Jain always cooperated with the investigation. “He was called several times by the ED and his statement was recorded.”
The investigation has been going on since 2017 and the minister was arrested on May 30.
Jain’s counsel also opposed the ED’s contention that Jain and his wife were associated with a trust. The court asked Satyendar Jain about his health whether he was eating properly during the detention, to which he replied that he does not eat without visiting the temple, “so he is taking fruits”.
Jain also told the court that despite health problems, Jain was cooperating in the investigation.
Jain said, “ED officials waste time, they don’t ask me anything for hours. Now they are saying that I cannot write. I am a minister and I know how to write.”
The minister also said that he was not asked about the recovery of gold and cash, yet he asked him to inquire about it.
Jain earlier said, “After reading the news of recovery of gold and cash, I asked the officials to inquire about it. They didn’t ask me anything. Now they are saying that there is a need to inquire about the seizure.” Is.” Court.