Supreme Court dismisses AAP leader Satyendar Jain’s bail plea in money laundering case

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, March 18

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Kumar Jain’s petition seeking regular bail in a money laundering case.

“All the appeals are dismissed,” a Bench led by Justice Bela M Trivedi said, ordering Jain to surrender forthwith.

The Bench had reserved its judgement on January 17 after hearing the arguments of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi for Jain and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju for the Enforcement Directorate.

Arrested on May 30 last year by the ED, Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. The case emanates from a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He has challenged the April 6, 2023, order of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the money laundering case.

The top court had on May 26 granted a six-week interim bail to the AAP leader on medical grounds. Since then his interim bail has been extended several times.

While extending the interim bail of the senior AAP leader, the top court had earlier asked him not to make the pendency of the case before it a ruse to delay the trial proceedings.

On April 6 last year, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail plea of Jain in a money laundering case, noting the witnesses’ claim that he was the conceptualiser, initiator and fund provider in the alleged crime.

The ED has alleged that the AAP leader was seeking repeated adjournments in the trial court on grounds that his bail plea was pending before the apex court.