Delhi HC seeks ED's response on Satyendar Jain's default bail plea

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and sought its response on the default bail plea filed by former minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, an accused in the money laundering case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought a status report from the ED on the matter and scheduled the hearing for July 9.

Jain's plea challenges trial court's May 15 order which dismissed his bail request.

He contends that the ED failed to complete its investigation within the statutory period and filed an incomplete prosecution complaint before the trial court on July 27, 2022, in a bid to deny him default bail under Section 167 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Jain argues that filing an incomplete chargesheet while the investigation was ongoing violates his fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, undermining his right to default bail as per Section 167 (2) CrPC.

The ED's case against Jain originates from an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under Sections 13(2) and 13(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, alleging he acquired disproportionate assets between 2015 and 2017.

Additionally, the ED alleges that companies beneficially owned and controlled by Jain received Rs 4.81 crore through accommodation entries from shell companies via a hawala route.