Breaking: Supreme Court Dismisses Bail Plea Of AAP Leader Satyendar Jain, Directs Him To Surrender Forthwith

On May 26, 2023, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Jain based on medical grounds. The Court carefully reviewed the leader's medical reports and, considering the findings provided conditional interim bail. The conditions included the leader being permitted to undergo treatment at a private hospital.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Trivedi had observed that Jain had to surrender. The Court had also noted that the accused were not cooperating with the trial. However, on medical grounds, the Court further extended the interim relief and adjourned the matter till January. ASG Raju informed the Bench that there is a consistent pattern of untoward incidents occurring with the AAP leader right before each court hearing. He also pointed out that the CJI had also asked Jain to surrender during the hearing.

The Bench of Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma had ordered, "Having considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties. Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, we are inclined to extend the interim order which was initially passed on 26th May 2023 on medical grounds and extended from time to time till this date."

After hearing the arguments of both parties the Court had reserved the judgment on January 17, 2024.

Satyendar Jain, arrested on May 30 last year by the agency, is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. The ED had arrested Satyendar Jain in the money laundering case based on a CBI's FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In 2022, the trial court had taken cognizance of the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the ED against Satyendar Jain, his wife, and eight others, including the four firms, in connection with the money laundering case.

In the impugned order, the Delhi High Court had observed that Jain is an influential person and may tamper with evidence. The High Court also held that there was no illegality or infirmity in the trial court's order by which the bail pleas were dismissed. While pronouncing the order, the high court said Satyendar Jain cannot be said to have satisfied the twin conditions for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and dismissed the bail plea.