A Delhi court on Thursday has extended till June 13, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of
Delhi
An alleged money laundering case involves Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
After being in ED custody for nine days following his arrest on May 30, Jain appeared today in Rouse Avenue District Court.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Health Minister filed a bail application with the court on Thursday through his lawyer. The hospital took Jain for a medical checkup after the hearing, as he complained of medical issues.
Judge Geetanjali Goel extended Satyender Jain’s remand until Monday. The court said he would be presented on Monday at 10.30 a.m.
Jain’s custody was extended for five days so the ED could confront him with evidence and documents recovered during the custody period.
Satyender Jain was the president of the Lala Sher Singh memorial trust, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju confirmed that they had conducted eight searches of the trust during the remand period.
Jain, however, has denied being a member of the trust during the interrogation process. It is noteworthy that the ED has said that various incriminating documents and digital records were seized during the search on June 7.
ED said that all movable property was seized from an “unexplained source” and was “found to be secreted” in the raided premises.
During raids against Jain and those linked to him, the ED seized more than Rs 2 crore in cash and gold weighing 1.8 kg.
According to the ED, Jain did not cooperate during the interrogation. His statements take a very long time to write, Raju said.
On the other hand, Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and N Hariharan opposed the extension of the remand saying that the recoveries are not connected with Jain. “ED has not asked any question about the gold and jeweler in the last two days,” they submitted.
“ED doesn`t have the jurisdiction to investigate the new recoveries. They should have informed the other agencies for investigation of the same,” senior advocates submitted before the court.
They submitted that the alleged money laundering offence was finished at the moment when the Agricultural land was attached by the ED.
They also argued that Jain always cooperated in the investigation. “He was called by ED many times and his statements were recorded.”
The investigation has been underway since 2017 and the minister was arrested on May 30. Jain`s counsel also opposed the contention of ED that Jain and his wife were connected with any trust.
The court inquired from Satyender Jain about his health and whether he was taking food properly during custody, to which he replied that he doesn`t take food without going to the temple, “therefore he is taking fruits.”
Jain also informed the court that despite health problems, he is cooperating in the investigation.
“ED officials waste time, they don`t ask me anything for hours. Now they are saying that I don`t know how to write. I am a Minister and I know how to write,” Jain said.
The Minister also said that he was not asked about the recovery of gold and cash, even after he asked them to question him on it.
“After reading the news of recoveries of gold and cash, I had asked the officials to ask me about that. They didn`t ask me anything. Now they are saying that there is a need to interrogate about the recoveries,” Jain said before the court.
He was sent to ED custody from May 31 till June 9. He was arrested in a money laundering case connected with Disproportionate Asset (DA) case registered by CBI.
