Raids against Delhi minister Satyendar Jain

New Delhi: "Unexplained" cash of Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins were seized after raids were conducted at the premises of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain and his alleged associates as part of a money laundering probe against them, the ED said Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said those raided on Monday "either directly or indirectly assisted (the minister) or participated in the process of money laundering". The cash and coins were "unexplained" and were kept in a "secret" place, it said in a statement. Jain, 57, was arrested on May 30 under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is in ED custody till June 9. The ED had conducted searches at about 7 premises, including that of a jeweller, in Delhi and some neighbouring locations on Monday. Jain, a minister without portfolio in the Arvind Kejriwal government, is being probed by the federal agency under the PMLA on charges of alleged hawala dealings. The agency said those raided include Jain's wife Poonam Jain, his business associates Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, Naveen Jain and Siddharth Jain (directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd), G S Matharoo (chairman of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust which runs Prudence group of schools), Yogesh Kumar Jain (director in Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd.), father-in-law of Ankush Jain and Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust.

"Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust had provided accommodation entries for transfer of land from company beneficially owned by Satyendar Kumar Jain to family members of accomplices in order to alienate the property and to frustrate the process of confiscation," the ED said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is after his Aam Aadmi Party and its governments in the national capital and Punjab.

His remarks came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it seized "unexplained" cash worth Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins after raids were conducted at the premises of Delhi minister Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal dubbed the charges against Jain as a "lie". "At this time, the prime minister is after the Aam Aadmi Party with all his power, especially the governments of Delhi and Punjab. Lie after lie, lie after lie," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. "You (PM) have the power of all the agencies but God is with us," he added.