The Enforcement Directorate (ED) notified the trial court on Tuesday that during questioning, Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendra Jain claimed that he lost his memory owing to the effect of Covid.
According to the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju who is appearing on the behalf of ED in court, Satyendra Jain made the assertion that he lost his memory after being faced with papers pertaining to his involvement in trusts that received money from hawala operations.
The AAP minister’s ED detention had already been extended till Monday, June 13. The bail hearing for Jain was set for Tuesday, June 14. The court heard Satyendra Jain’s bail application on Tuesday and reserved its decision until June 18.
In his argument before the Rouse Avenue Court last week, ASG Raju, representing the interests of the ED, stated that Satyendra Jain is a very slow writer. “He Takes about two hours to write one page. His statement has to be taken in his handwriting otherwise he says ‘it’s not my statement’,” ASG Raju said.
On May 30, the ED arrested Satyendra Jain under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. On May 31, the trial court remanded him to the custody of ED. ED raided the residence and other places associated with Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain on June 6 and 7. Following the raid, the agency confiscated Rs. 2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg in total.
Satyendra Jain was charged with money laundering in August 2017 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Based on the FIR made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the ED initiated a criminal case against the AAP leader, alleging that Jain could not explain the source of income received by four firms in which he was a stakeholder. From 2010 to 2014, the firms allegedly laundered Rs 16.39 crores in cash.
The Home Ministry authorised the prosecution of Delhi minister Satyendra Jain in matters including disproportionate assets and money laundering in November 2019. Under the PMLA, 2002, the Enforcement Directorate temporarily attached immovable assets worth Rs. 4.81 crore owned by Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others in April of this year. The move was taken in connection with the case filed against AAP minister Satyendra Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others for disproportionate assets and money laundering.
