HC asks ED to reply to Satyendar Jain's plea to defer arguments on charge in money laundering case

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response to a plea by AAP leader Satyendar Jain for deferring arguments on framing of charges in a money laundering case against him.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued a notice to the central agency on Jain's petition in which he said that the investigation in the case had not yet concluded.

The high court, however, refused to stay the trial court proceedings at this stage and listed the matter for further hearing on December 10.

"Notice issued. Reply be filed on the petition as well as the interim application. No indirect stay," the high court said as the counsel for Jain urged that the arguments on framing of charges in the ED case be stayed till the pendency of this plea.

Jain, who was arrested on May 30, 2022, by the ED and granted bail on October 18 this year by the trial court, is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

The former health minister of Delhi has challenged a trial court's September 4 order dismissing his plea to defer the arguments on the framing of charges.

He submitted in the plea that the investigation is continuing and it would be in the interest of justice that arguments on charge are heard only once the probe is complete.

"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 said.

The ED had arrested Satyendar Jain in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He was granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019, in the case registered by the CBI.

In 2022, the trial court had taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed by the ED against Jain, his wife and eight others, including four firms, in connection with the money laundering case. PTI SKV RT