MHA seeks Presidents nod to prosecute AAP leader Satyendra Jain in money laundering case
Jain is currently out on bail but remains charge-sheeted by the ED
PTC Web Desk: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approached President Droupadi Murmu, seeking approval to prosecute Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendra Jain in connection with a money laundering case. The request is based on findings from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which reportedly provide "adequate proof" to proceed with the case.
The MHA has sought sanction under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, according to sources. This follows a previous sanction by the MHA in March last year for a CBI investigation against Jain under the Prevention of Corruption (POC) Act. He was accused of extorting Rs 10 crore from conman Sukash Chandrashekhar while the latter was in Tihar Jail.
The ED filed a money laundering case against Satyendra Jain linked to alleged hawala transactions and arrested him in May 2022. At the time, he held key portfolios, including health and power, in the Delhi government but later resigned from his posts.
In October last year, the Delhi High Court granted him bail after 18 months, citing delays in the trial. Jain is currently out on bail but remains charge-sheeted by the ED. The money laundering allegations originated from a CBI FIR filed in August 2017, which accused him of possessing disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 1.47 crore, reportedly 217% more than his known sources of income during 2015-17.
According to the ED, during 2015-16, Jain was a public servant who allegedly benefited from accommodation entries worth Rs 4.81 crore through four companies he controlled. These funds were allegedly routed through shell companies via hawala transactions and were used to purchase agricultural land or repay loans for land acquisitions in and around Delhi.