On Friday (May 26), the Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain for a period of 6 weeks.
As per reports, the apex court turned down the plea of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to first let a panel of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) examine the AAP leader.
Satyendar Jain, who has been arrested in connection to a money laundering case filed by ED, has now been granted bail till July 11, 2023. He has been directed to not speak to the media during the 6-week interim bail period. The case is adjourned for hearing till July 10 this year.
The AAP leader has been in Tihar Jail since May 2022. After his bail petition was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on April 6, 2023, he approached the Supreme Court.
On April 6 this year, the Delhi High Court made scathing observations about Satyendar Jain while dismissing his bail application. A single Judge Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma stated that there was enough evidence to suggest that the AAP leader maintained indirect control in the alleged money laundering operation.
It must be mentioned that the Enforcement Directorate had earlier attached properties worth ₹4.81 crores, belonging to five companies – Akinchan Developers, Indo Metal Impex, Mangalayatan Projects, Paryas Infosolutions, and J.J. Ideal Estate Pvt Ltd.
The court rejected the defence of Satyendar Jain that he did not have physical possession of the attached properties. It also noted that the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) took cognisance of the usage of Kolkata-based hawala operators by Satyendar Jain and his accomplice.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma took note of the special treatment provided to Satyendar Jain in Tihar Jail. “The special treatment extended by the prison authorities to Satyender Kumar Jain shows that the ED’s apprehension throughout was correct that being a former Minister of Prisons and Health he is receiving favourable treatment from the prison officials including the prison doctors,” he said.