On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Delhi Court that AAP Minister Satyendar Jain who has been charged in a money laundering case is being treated specially in the Tihar jail. The ED submitted the CCTV footage of the Tihar jail which allegedly showed Jain getting preferential treatment inside Tihar Jail.
According to the reports, the ED said that Jain was being given foot massage and body massage while in the cell in presence of three other unknown persons. In the video, the unknown masseuse could also be seen delivering and collecting documents to and from the accused in a secretive, suspicious manner.
Furthermore, the ED stated that Jain was being served fresh-cut fruits and green salad directly in his cell by an unidentified individual. The CCTV footage also demonstrates an unidentified person sitting and having a conversation with him inside his cell. The ED also contended that Jain’s cell is being cleaned, mopped, and broomed by an unidentified person under the supervision of co-accused Ankush Jain. An unknown person changes the bed sheet and pillow cover and arranges the cell before Jain enters it.
The ED also said that Jain was continuously and easily meeting co-accused Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, and some other unknown persons and was having discussions concerning unknown papers inside the cell. The central agency also claimed that Satyendar Jain’s wife, Poonam Jain, visits him often in the cell.
In the affidavit submitted to the court, the ED also alleged that the accused was violating all the norms of the jail and was meeting the jail superintendent every day, which is against the rules. “Satyendar Jain, who is also the prison minister, is taking unfair advantage of his position. Homemade food is being provided to him in jail, in clear violation of the court order”, the ED stated.
However, the authorities at Tihar jail denied the allegations made by the ED against the accused. The administration stated that no one was allowed to meet the accused from outside the jail and that he was allowed to talk to the co-accused only during the morning headcount.
“During the headcount in the morning, all prisoners present in the ward can talk to each other. The co-accused mentioned by the ED is also lodged in the same ward as Satyendar Jain and so they can talk among themselves. After the headcount is over, all inmates go back to their cells, and then they cannot visit each other’s cell”, the jail authorities were quoted. The Tihar jail administration also denied ED’s allegation that Satyendar Jain was being given access to any electronic device inside the jail.
The ED attached assets worth Rs 4.81 crores linked to Jain and his family in April. The ED launched an investigation in the case based on an FIR which was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jain and others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
It is alleged that while Jain was a public servant, his companies received up to Rs. 4.81 crores from shell companies via the Hawala network. Satyendar Jain was arrested and detained by the Enforcement Directorate on May 31, 2022.
