The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has seized Rs 2.85 crore cash and gold weighing 1.8 kilograms a day after conducting searches on the premises of Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain and his aides in Delhi in connection with a money-laundering case.
“During the search, various incriminating documents and digital records were seized,” the agency said in a statement. “The cash amounting to Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg in total from unexplained source were found to be secreted in the said premises and were seized under PMLA [Prevention of Money Laundering Act].”
Jain, a minister without a portfolio in the Arvind Kejriwal government, was arrested on May 30 under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He will be in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till June 9.
On Monday, the searches were also carried out on the premises of Jain’s relatives and associates, The Times of India reported.
In its statement, the Enforcement Directorate alleged that those raided on Monday had “either directly or indirectly assisted” the minister in the process of money laundering. The agency named Vaibhav Jain, Ankush Jain, Naveen Jain and Yogesh Kumar Jain, who are the directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Limited.
“Investigation revealed that one accomplice member of M/s Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust had provided accommodation entries for transfer of land from company beneficially owned by Satyendar Kumar Jain to family members of accomplices in order to alienate the property and to frustrate the process of confiscation,” the statement alleged.
Soon after the Enforcement Directorate’s statement, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is after the Aam Aadmi Party governments in Delhi and Punjab.
“Lies, lies and more lies,” he said in a tweet. “You have the power of all agencies, but god is with us.”
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed that only Rs 2.79 lakh was found in Jain’s home. Citing a seizure memo, Sisodia tweeted that the amount was not seized as it was found to be legal.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi spokesperson Harish Khurana asked the central agency to investigate the Delhi chief minister as well.
“Kejriwal had given a clean chit to Jain after he was arrested by ED in the money laundering case which means he knows what are the links,” Khurana said, according to PTI.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party is adept at playing victim and asked the chief minister to share documents based on which he cleared Jain in the case.
He claimed that there may be other stakeholders involved due to which Kejriwal is protecting the minister.
BJP leader Kapil Mishra described Kejriwal as a “partner in crime” for clearing Jain’s name in the case.
Delhi Congress President Anil Kumar claimed that more names from the Aam Aadmi Party will come up in the case. He said that it is quite clear that Jain is involved in major corruption, PTI reported.
“The next person to face the Enforcement Directorate will be Manish Sisodia,” he claimed.
The Delhi Congress also submitted a complaint to the national capital’s Crime Branch department, saying that they will approach the Central Bureau of Investigation if no action is taken.
Case against Jain
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that five firms – Akinchan Developers Private Limited, Indo Metal Impex Private Limited, Paryas Infosolutions Private Limited, Manglayatan Projects Private Limited and JJ Ideal Estate Private Limited – are shell companies controlled by Jain and his relatives.
The agency claimed that money routed through the companies was used for buying land or for repaying loans taken for buying agricultural land in and around Delhi.
In April, the Enforcement Directorate had attached immovable property worth Rs 4.81 crore allegedly belonging to companies linked to Jain and his relatives.
On May 31, Kejriwal had said that the allegations against Jain are false and that the case was politically motivated.
On June 2, the Delhi chief minister had claimed that his deputy Manish Sisodia will soon be the next minister to be arrested after Jain.
“By framing Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia, the Centre wants to stop any good work from happening in the health and education sectors in Delhi,” Kejriwal had said. “But don’t worry I will never let that happen, the good work will continue.”
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