New Delhi, (Samajweekly) Jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyender Jain on Tuesday asked a Delhi court to transfer two cases related to alleged corruption and money laundering brought against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to another judge.
During the hearing, the former Delhi Minister informed Special Judge Vikas Dhull, who is overseeing both cases, that he had filed transfer applications with the Principal District and Sessions Judge.
The proceedings in the CBI corruption case have been temporarily halted by the Principal District Judge until May 4, when arguments on Jain’s transfer application will be heard. Meanwhile, a similar application in the ED’s money laundering case is set to be heard on April 13.
Jain has requested that Special Judge Dhull postpone the matter “to see the outcome of said transfer applications”.
In response to a court inquiry, the ED’s Special Public Prosecutor confirmed that he had received an advance copy of Jain’s application related to the money laundering case.
The court subsequently adjourned the proceedings.
Jain was placed under arrest on May 30, 2022, by the central agency under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The ED had initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2017 under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the PC Act, 1988 against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain, and Ankush Jain.
A charge sheet was filed by the CBI on December 3, 2018, against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and other accused.
Earlier, the ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned and controlled by Jain on March 31, 2022.
