Delhi HC Declines Immediate Stay on Trial Against Satyendar Jain in Money Laundering Case
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the trial court proceedings against former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain in a 2017 money laundering case. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri notified the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Jain’s plea to seek deferment of arguments on charges until the agency completes further investigation and scheduled the next hearing for December 10. The court, however, clarified that no indirect stay had been granted.
Jain’s appeal came after a city court, on September 4, denied his request to delay arguments on charges, citing insufficient grounds to halt the proceedings. His petition argued that the ongoing ED investigation into the alleged recovery of proceeds of crime and a pending CBI investigation into a related disproportionate assets case should be resolved before framing charges in the money laundering case. The ED, represented by special counsel Zoheb Hossain, opposed the plea, stating that the trial court’s decision was well-reasoned.
The case originates from a CBI probe and involves allegations that Jain laundered money through three companies linked to him and his wife, Poonam Jain. The ED claims ₹4.6 crore in proceeds of crime were routed through hawala transactions to Kolkata and returned via dummy companies. Despite spending 18 months in jail, Jain was granted bail in October because the trial’s commencement was unlikely soon. The high court also granted bail to co-accused Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, citing prolonged incarceration and delays in trial proceedings.
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