Delhi minister Satyendar Jain sent to 14-day judicial custody in money laundering case

Special Judge Gitanjali Goel will on Tuesday hear Jain’s bail application. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had filed its reply to the bail application, sought a day’s time to argue the matter citing voluminous records in the case.

On the last date of hearing, when Jain was produced, the Delhi minister claimed that he felt suffocated. It was stated that he was a sleep apnea patient and required a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to help aid in his breathing but despite his request, ED officials took him to the office instead of the hospital. The court said in such circumstances, the ED medically examines him and, if advised, takes him to a hospital.

On Monday, additional solicitor SV Raju, appearing on behalf of the ED, argued that the defence lawyers wanted to “raise a hue and cry” over Jain’s medical condition and that his medical records showed that there was no issue with him. This was done by the defence lawyers to get bail on medical grounds, Raju alleged. “Doctors found him (Jain) physically fit. He is deliberately not taking medicines,” he told the court.

Senior advocate N Hariharan, who appeared on behalf of Jain, said that the ED must not impute motives to them. He also told the court that senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who had in the past appeared for Jain, was down with Covid-19 and hence could not make it to the hearing.

The case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR lodged against Jain in 2017, in which he was accused of money laundering through four companies allegedly linked to him.