Delhi High Court
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought AAP leader Satyendar Jain’s response on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking to defer arguments on framing of charges in a money laundering case against him.
Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice to Jain on an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a pending petition of the AAP leader.
The high court listed the matter for further hearing on March 3.
In the main petition, Jain has sought deferring of arguments on charges on the ground that the investigation in the case is yet to conclude and it would be in the interest of justice that arguments on charge are heard only once the probe is complete.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its application also urged the high court to direct the special court to defer the hearing on the point of charge until the supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) is filed by it.
“To a limited extent I am agreeable to what the petitioner (Jain) is saying that till the time we file the supplementary prosecution complaint, defer the hearing on charges. No prejudice will be caused to the petitioner because that was also his prayer in the main petition,” the ED’s counsel argued.
He said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also filed a supplementary chargesheet in the scheduled offence before the trial court on January 3 and has enlarged the quantum of the disproportionate assets from Rs 1.47 crore to Rs 3.95 crore.
The ED’s counsel said deferment was imperative to enable it to file a supplementary chargesheet in view of the development in the CBI case.
The high court had earlier sought the ED’s response on Jain’s petition in which he urged that the arguments on framing of charges in the money laundering case be stayed till the pendency of this plea.
Jain, who was arrested on May 30, 2022 by the ED and granted bail on October 18, 2024 by the trial court, is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.
The former health minister of Delhi has challenged a trial court’s September 4, 2024 order dismissing his plea to defer the arguments on the framing of charges.
He submitted in the plea that the investigation is continuing and it would be in the interest of justice that arguments on charge are heard only once the probe is complete.
“If the investigating agency is in possession of material which may exculpate the accused in any manner, the court is bound to consider such material at the time of forming a prima facie view,” it said.
The ED had arrested Jain in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He was granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019 in the case registered by the CBI.
In 2022, the trial court had taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed by the ED against Jain, his wife and eight others, including four firms, in connection with the money laundering case.
This post was last modified on February 17, 2025 4:41 pm