The Delhi High Court, on Monday, asked AAP leader Satyendar Jain to respond to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that seeks to defer the framing of charges in a money laundering case against him. Justice Vikas Mahajan issued the notice following the ED’s application, setting the next hearing for March 3.
The case involves allegations that Jain laundered money through four companies purportedly linked to him. Jain, who served as the Health Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the ED on May 30, 2022, and later granted bail on October 18, 2024. The Enforcement Directorate’s move to defer the hearing on charges stems from ongoing investigations by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In his main petition, Jain argued for the deferment of the framing of charges until the completion of the investigation, contending that a fair trial necessitates a complete probe before any charges are framed. The ED has echoed this sentiment to a certain extent in its latest plea, emphasizing the need to file a supplementary prosecution complaint especially after the CBI filed an additional chargesheet earlier this year, which increased the alleged quantum of disproportionate assets from Rs 1.47 crore to Rs 3.95 crore.
The ED’s counsel argued in court that deferring the charge framing would cause no prejudice to Jain, aligning with his initial plea in the main petition. The deferment is seen as crucial for the ED to incorporate developments from the CBI’s ongoing investigation into their chargesheet.
Previously, the high court had sought the ED’s stance on Jain’s petition, which requested a stay on the arguments regarding the charge framing in the ongoing money laundering case pending this plea. The backdrop of this legal tussle includes Jain’s 2017 arrest under the Prevention of Corruption Act following a CBI FIR, leading to subsequent money laundering charges by the ED.
