The Delhi High Court denied bail to Satyendar Jain, former health minister of Delhi and a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in a money laundering case. Jain was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 1 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which alleged that he was involved in money laundering worth ₹4.63 crore. The court, while denying his bail plea, cited concerns that Jain, an influential person, may tamper with the evidence in the case, as indicated by his conduct during custody.
The ED alleged that Jain had laundered money through shell companies, and that the proceeds were used to purchase land in Delhi. Jain has denied the allegations, stating that they are politically motivated. The AAP has also protested his arrest, calling it a political vendetta by the central government.
Jain’s bail plea was opposed by the ED, which contended that Jain was a flight risk and that there was evidence to show that he had tampered with witnesses in the past. The court also noted that the allegations against Jain were serious in nature, and that there was a likelihood of him influencing the witnesses in the case.
The court further stated that Jain’s conduct during custody indicated that he had the potential to tamper with evidence. It noted that Jain had initially denied knowing the co-accused in the case, but later changed his statement and claimed that they were his relatives. The court also stated that Jain’s claim that he was unaware of the source of the money used to purchase the land was not credible, as he was a chartered accountant by profession.
Jain, who was a key aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had served as the health minister of Delhi from 2015 to 2020. He has been a target of the BJP-led central government, which has been at loggerheads with the AAP government in Delhi since it came to power in 2015. The central government has often accused the AAP of obstructing its development plans for the city, while the AAP has accused the central government of interfering in its functioning.
The AAP has called the arrest of Jain a political vendetta, and has accused the central government of using the ED and other agencies to target its leaders. The party has also alleged that the central government is trying to undermine the democratic mandate of the people of Delhi, who had elected the AAP to power with a thumping majority.
The AAP has been a vocal critic of the central government’s policies, particularly those related to Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the National Register of Citizens. It has also been at the forefront of the protests against the central government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has accused it of not doing enough to support the states in their efforts to contain the virus. The party has called for a unified approach in tackling the pandemic, and has criticized the central government for its lack of coordination and cooperation with the states.
The denial of bail to Jain is likely to further strain the relationship between the AAP and the central government. The AAP has vowed to continue its fight against what it calls the “politics of vendetta”, and has called for a united opposition to take on the BJP-led central government. The central government, on the other hand, has defended its actions, stating that it is only acting in accordance with the law, and that the AAP should not try to shield its leaders from scrutiny.
