Delhi Court Grants Bail To AAP Leader Satyendar Jain In Money Laundering Case Citing ‘Delay In Trial’

AAP leader Satyendar Jain was granted bail by Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Friday in a money laundering case citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration".

By : ABP News Bureau | Updated at : 18 Oct 2024 06:29 PM (IST)

File photo of AAP leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain
Source : PTI

Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Friday granted bail to AAP leader and former minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration". His bail comes after senior AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh were given bail in separate cases over liquor policy matter. According to Jain's counsel, the former Delhi minister is likely to walk out of prison today.

Satyendar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30, 2022, on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

"Considering the delay in trial and long incarceration of 18 months, and the fact that trail will take long to start, let alone conclude, accused is favourably suited for the relief," said Special Judge Vishal Gogne, as quoted by news agency PTI.

According to PTI, the judge set bail at Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount. The ED's case against Jain originates from an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

AAP Leader Satyendar Jain Likely To Walk Out Of Prison Today 

Counsel for Satyendar Jain, Vivek Jain told news agency ANI, "Trail court has granted bail to Satyendar Jain and said that he ahs a right under article 21 to be not incarcerated indefinitely when the trial has not even commenced. Therefore, the trial court has extended liberty...There are no special conditions...He should be coming out today late evening."

After the court's ruling, Jain's wife and daughter were visibly emotional, news agency ANI reported. The court had previously reserved its decision on Jain's regular bail application on October 5. Senior advocate N. Hariharan and Advocate Vivek Jain represented Jain, arguing that there was no risk of witness tampering and that he posed no flight risk. They emphasised that this was the second bail application filed following the prosecution complaint.

Counsel argued that the ED’s investigation had been ongoing for five years without framing charges, noting discrepancies in the claimed proceeds of crime between the CBI and the ED. They highlighted that Jain had been in custody longer than other leaders who had been granted bail, including Manish Sisodia, who was incarcerated for 17 months, and K Kavitha, who secured bail in five months, ANI reported.

Special Counsel for the ED, Zoheb Hossain, opposed the bail plea, asserting that the proceeds of crime amounted to Rs 4.81 crore. He claimed that the delay in proceedings was primarily due to the accused seeking numerous adjournments. In contrast, Jain’s counsel rebutted that the ED was inconsistent in its claims regarding the proceeds of crime and invoked the Supreme Court's judgment in Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary, stating that a trial for a scheduled offence must be completed before the ED’s complaint could proceed.

Published at : 18 Oct 2024 04:36 PM (IST)
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Satyendar Jain Manish Sisodia Breaking News AAP ABP Live ARVIND KEJRIWAL DELHI Delhi Money Laundering Case

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