delhi-hc-to-hear-satyendar-jain-response-on-ed-plea

The Delhi High Court has called upon Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain to respond to a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), requesting a deferment of the trial hearing in the disproportionate assets case.

 

The ED sought to postpone the trial, citing recent developments in the investigation.

 

The ED, through special counsel Zoheb Hossain, informed the court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a supplementary chargesheet, revealing a larger sum of money involved in the case than previously suspected.

 

This supplementary chargesheet has led the ED to consider filing its own supplementary prosecution complaint. As a result, the ED requested the trial court hearing to be deferred to allow time for this new information to be incorporated into the case.

 

Justice Vikas Mahajan, acknowledging the submission, scheduled the next hearing for March 3, 2025. Satyendar Jain’s senior advocate, N Hariharan, indicated that Jain would provide a formal written response to the ED's plea.

 

Earlier, Jain himself approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a deferment of the trial court hearing. His plea emphasised that the investigation into the case was still ongoing and had not been completed.

 

Jain argued that it would be in the interest of justice for the trial to proceed only once the investigation is concluded, to ensure that all relevant material is considered.

 

He pointed out that the investigation was still ongoing and included the collection of extensive records from various departments and the examination of numerous witnesses.

 

Jain's plea highlighted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is handling the predicate offence, had yet to complete its investigation, as it still had to examine multiple transactions and gather evidence.

 

He also stated that the investigation involved reviewing voluminous records, which could significantly impact the case's outcome, particularly in terms of the proceeds of crime.

 

The trial court had previously granted bail to Satyendar Jain, citing his prolonged 18-month incarceration. Jain had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022, accused of laundering the proceeds of crime through four companies allegedly connected to him.

 

This money laundering case originated from the CBI’s investigation and was later taken over by the ED, which expanded the probe to include three companies allegedly linked to Jain.