Ajit Karn
Thursday, a Delhi court requested a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding an application lodged by former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain requesting the transfer of his case to a different judge.
Jain had filed an application on April 10 seeking the transfer of two cases filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged corruption and money laundering to another judge, alleging prejudice on the part of special judge Vikas Dhull.
District and sessions judge Vinay Kumar Gupta notified ED of the application and set May 4 as the hearing date. The court, however, denied the motion to suspend Vikas Dhull’s money laundering case proceedings.
Jain had filed an application on April 10 seeking the transfer of two cases filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged corruption and money laundering to another judge, alleging prejudice against special judge Vikas Dhull.
Judge Vikas Dhull is currently hearing both cases.
Previously, Dhull denied Jain’s parole application, stating that “applicant/accused Satyendar Kumar Jain is prima facie guilty of money laundering in excess of Rs. 1 crore.”
Attorney N. K. Matta, representing ED, asked the court to set the matter for May 4, as Jain’s application seeking transfer of the CBI case to a different judge is also set for May 4, and he would submit his response by then.
Earlier, ED submitted a request to transfer the case to a different magistrate. The case had been reassigned from special judge Geetanjli Goel to special judge Vikas Dhull by the chief district and sessions judge.
Jain then challenged the aforementioned order before the Delhi high court, which upheld the transfer order. The decree of the high court was later challenged before the Supreme Court, but Jain withdrew his challenge.
In 2017, the CBI lodged a first information report (FIR) against Jain for having disproportionate assets. On the basis of the CBI’s FIR, the ED filed a case against Jain and accused him of laundering money through four companies allegedly affiliated to him and in which he held shares while amassing a disproportionate income.
According to ED, Jain transferred money to Kolkata through the Hawala channel and received it back in the form of accommodation entries from fictitious companies, despite being unable to demonstrate the source of the money received.
Jain was detained by ED on May 30 of last year. He is presently incarcerated in Tihar.
The Delhi high court denied bail to Jain and two other co-defendants in the money laundering case last week, citing their failure to meet and satisfy the two conditions specified for bail under the PMLA.
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The court denied Jain’s parole request in a 2017 money laundering case on the grounds that he is a “powerful individual” who could “possibly tamper with the evidence.”
