Money laundering: SC seeks ED reply on Punjab AAP MLA Jaswant Singh’s bail plea
Satya Prakash
New Delhi, June 5
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to Punjab AAP MLA Jaswant Singh’s petition against his arrest as well as his application for interim bail in a money laundering case.
A Vacation Bench led by Justice Aravind Kumar asked the ED to file its reply by Friday, the next date of hearing, after the probe agency’s counsel said he needed time to respond to Jaswant’s plea.
On behalf of the AAP MLA, senior counsel Vikram Chaudhri and advocate Nikhil Jain said the ED was served a copy of the petition on May 30 and the agency had enough time to file its reply. Making it clear that it will take up the matter on June 7, the Bench said no further adjournment would be granted.
On May 29, the top court had refused to grant interim bail to Jaswant, arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a bank fraud case, to campaign in the Lok Sabha poll. The Bench had said it was not inclined to grant any relief to the AAP MLA without hearing the ED.
However, it had issued a notice to the ED and asked the probe agency to respond to his petition against arrest as well as his application for interim bail.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier dismissed his plea challenging his arrest, observing that there was no illegality.
An MLA from Amargarh, Jaswant Singh contended that he was arrested in violation of Section 19 (1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Hearing on june 7
- A Vacation Bench led by Justice Aravind Kumar asked the ED to file its reply by Friday, the next date of hearing, after the probe agency’s counsel said he needed time to respond to Jaswant’s plea.
- It was submitted thay the ED was served a copy of the petition on May 30 and the agency had enough time to file its reply. Making it clear that it will take up the matter on June 7, the Bench said no further adjournment would be granted.
