Delhi minister Satyendar Jain sent to ED custody till 9 June in money laundering case

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has been sent to Enforcement Directorate custody till 9 June in an alleged money laundering case. The minister was arrested by ED on Monday.

Jain was questioned by the probe agency on Monday for about six hours after which he was taken into custody under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED officials alleged he was “evasive” in his replies.

The arrest of Delhi minister comes after an investigation that dates back to 2015-2016; the ED has alleged that Jain was involved in hawala transactions with a Kolkata-based firm.

The investigation revealed that in 2015-16, when Jain was working in the central public works department, four firms “beneficially owned and controlled by him” received “accommodation entries (a term used for hawala transfers) to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through hawala route.”

As part of the probe, the ED in April had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to five shell companies — Akinchan Developers, Indo Metalimpex, Paryas Infosolutions, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, Ideal Estate Pvt Ltd — all of which were in the names of Jain’s relatives, namely, Swati Jain, Sushila Jain and Indu Jain.

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It was also alleged that Jain had control over these companies, either as director or by holding one-third of the shares of the firm. The investigating authorities also claimed that these firms were shell companies used to park money.

The CBI had earlier said that before becoming a public servant, Jain was allegedly involved in laundering Rs 11.78 crore during 2010-2012 through these companies as well as others in New Delhi.

A day after his minister’s arrest, AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday broke his silence, saying the case is “completely fake and politically motivated”.

The CM asserted that his government and the AAP are “hardcore honest”. “I have studied the case against Jain. It is completely fake and motivated by political reasons and he has been deliberately framed,” Kejriwal said.

“We have faith in the judiciary. Jain will come out clean and the fake case will not sustain,” the chief minister told reporters during an inspection of a road development programme of his government.

Jain also holds various portfolios including health, home and power in the Kejriwal government in Delhi.

Delhi units of the BJP and the Congress have welcomed Jain’s arrest and the BJP has also demanded the resignation of Kejriwal and his health minister Satyendar Jain.

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BJP alleged that the AAP chief’s stand on the issue shows that he not only condones corruption but is also involved in it.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also rejected the AAP’s allegation of “political vendetta” and that Jain’s arrest was linked to upcoming polls in Himachal Pradesh.

“No court has quashed any proceedings of central agencies in a corruption case,” Bhatia said.

“The BJP government at the Centre has zero tolerance against corruption and will continue to target graft,” the BJP spokesperson said, adding that polls keep taking place in the country, and probe agencies cannot be asked to step back from acting despite evidence because of elections.

“Both Kejriwal and Jain should resign,” Bhatia said at a press conference, alleging the Delhi health minister had been acting at the behest of the AAP supremo. “It is clear that Kejriwal has been left with no morality,” he claimed.

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