The Delhi Excessive Court docket on Monday (February 17, 2025) sought AAP chief Satyendar Jain’s response on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate searching for to defer arguments on framing of prices in a cash laundering case towards him.
Justice Vikas Mahajan issued discover to Mr. Jain on an utility filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a pending petition of the AAP chief.
The Excessive Court docket listed the matter for additional listening to on March 3.
In the primary petition, Mr. Jain has sought deferring of arguments on prices on the bottom that the investigation within the case is but to conclude and it could be within the curiosity of justice that arguments on cost are heard solely as soon as the probe is full.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its utility additionally urged the Excessive Court docket to direct the particular courtroom to defer the listening to on the purpose of cost till the supplementary prosecution grievance (chargesheet) is filed by it.
“To a limited extent I am agreeable to what the petitioner (Jain) is saying that till the time we file the supplementary prosecution complaint, defer the hearing on charges. No prejudice will be caused to the petitioner because that was also his prayer in the main petition,” the ED’s counsel argued.
He mentioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has additionally filed a supplementary chargesheet within the scheduled offence earlier than the trial courtroom on January 3 and has enlarged the quantum of the disproportionate property from ₹1.47 crore to ₹3.95 crore.
The ED’s counsel mentioned deferment was crucial to allow it to file a supplementary chargesheet in view of the event within the CBI case.
The Excessive Court docket had earlier sought the ED’s response on Jain’s petition by which he urged that the arguments on framing of prices within the cash laundering case be stayed until the pendency of this plea.
Mr. Jain, who was arrested on Could 30, 2022 by the ED and granted bail on October 18, 2024 by the trial courtroom, is accused of getting laundered cash via 4 firms allegedly linked to him.
The previous well being minister of Delhi has challenged a trial courtroom’s September 4, 2024 order dismissing his plea to defer the arguments on the framing of prices.
He submitted within the plea that the investigation is continuous and it could be within the curiosity of justice that arguments on cost are heard solely as soon as the probe is full.
“If the investigating agency is in possession of material which may exculpate the accused in any manner, the court is bound to consider such material at the time of forming a prima facie view,” it mentioned.
The ED had arrested Mr. Jain within the cash laundering case based mostly on a CBI FIR registered towards him in 2017 below the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He was granted common bail by a trial courtroom on September 6, 2019 within the case registered by the CBI.
In 2022, the trial courtroom had taken cognisance of the prosecution grievance filed by the ED towards Mr. Jain, his spouse and eight others, together with 4 companies, in reference to the cash laundering case.
Printed – February 17, 2025 05:21 pm IST
