Delhi: Satyendar Jain sent to ED custody till June 9
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was sent to the Enforcement Directorate's custody until June 9 by a Delhi court on Tuesday in an alleged money laundering case. Jain was arrested on Monday under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case is related to hawala transactions involving a Kolkata-based company, news agency ANI reported.
Jain had allegedly purchased or floated several shell companies in Delhi and also laundered black money worth Rs. 16.39 crore via 54 shell companies of three Kolkata-based hawala operators. Akinchan Developers Private Limited, Indo Metal Impex Private Limited, Paryas Infosolutions Private Limited, Manglayatan Projects Private Limited, and JJ Ideal Estate Private Limited are among some companies in which Jain allegedly owned shares.
Earlier in April, the ED had provisionally attached assets worth Rs. 4.81 crore belonging to Jain and his family members, reports said. According to the financial probe agency's investigations in the case, companies—in which the AAP leader was allegedly involved—illegally received Rs. 4.81 crore through the hawala network from shell companies during 2015-16.
In April, the ED stated, "During 2015-16...companies beneficially owned and controlled by [Jain] received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs. 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through hawala route." "These amounts were utilized for direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loan taken for purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi (sic)," it added.
To note, the ED had initiated the money laundering probe against Jain on the basis of an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the AAP leader and others under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Earlier in 2018, the ED had questioned Jain in connection with this case.
Meanwhile, the CBI denied claims that it had filed a closure report against Jain in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case on Tuesday. The CBI registered the DA case against Jain on August 24, 2017, and filed a charge sheet against him on December 3, 2018. A CBI official told ANI that no closure report had been filed against the Delhi minister by the agency.
On the other hand, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called the case against Jain "completely fraud." "I have personally studied this case, it is completely fraud. We neither tolerate corruption nor we do corruption. We have a very honest government. He has been targeted because of political reasons," Kejriwal said. However, the CM also said he had complete faith in the judiciary.
