The Delhi High Court has asked AAP leader Satyendar Jain to respond to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea seeking a delay in the framing of charges in a 2017 money laundering case. Justice Vikas Mahajan listed the matter for March 3 after hearing preliminary arguments from both sides.
The ED filed an application urging the High Court to direct the trial court to pause its proceedings until the agency submits a supplementary prosecution complaint. This request follows recent developments in a related corruption case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Today, to a limited extent, I am agreeable to the prayer of Jain to defer framing of charge till a supplementary prosecution complaint is filed. No prejudice can ever be caused to Jain as we are asking for a part of their prayer. At least a part of the prayer overlaps,” ED counsel Zoheb Hussain argued.
Background of the Case
The case stems from allegations that Jain acquired movable properties worth ₹1.47 crore (now revised to ₹3.95 crore) between 2015 and 2017 through shell companies. The ED claims these assets were obtained via “accommodation entries” of ₹4.81 crore from Kolkata-based operators using hawala channels.
The CBI initially filed a disproportionate assets case, prompting the ED to launch a parallel probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Jain, arrested by the ED in 2022, secured bail in October 2023 and intermittently received medical bail between May 2023 and March 2024.
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The ED highlighted that the CBI recently filed a supplementary chargesheet, expanding the scope of Jain’s alleged illicit assets.
“The quantum of disproportionate assets has now increased to ₹3.95 crores from ₹1.47 crores. The scope has been expanded. Cognizance has been taken by the trial court. This is all happening in the predicate case,” Hussain informed the court.
The agency emphasized that a supplementary complaint is necessary to reflect these updates, ensuring the PMLA trial aligns with the CBI’s findings.
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In September 2023, Jain approached the High Court seeking a pause in the PMLA trial until the CBI completes its investigation and concludes its separate corruption trial. However, a trial court rejected his request, leading him to appeal for relief in the High Court.
