A Delhi court on Monday stayed proceedings in a trial court against Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case, ANI reported. The court also issued a notice to all the accused persons on a plea to replace the judge hearing the matter.

Jain, a minister without a portfolio in the Delhi government, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 30. The agency’s case is based on a disproportionate assets first information report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2017 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

Advertisement

Last week, the Enforcement Directorate’s counsel moved an application before the principal district and sessions judge of Rouse Avenue Court, seeking the transfer of the case proceedings from Special Judge Geetanjali Goel.

During the last few hearings, Goel had rebuked the Enforcement Directorate over its investigation in the case while hearing the bail pleas of the Aam Aadmi Party leader and two of his alleged aides – Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

She had asked why the Enforcement Directorate went beyond the Central Bureau of Investigation’s case to look into alleged proceeds of crime that are not mentioned in the chargesheet, according to The Indian Express. Goel also sought to know what exactly the crime in the case was, observing that the companies allegedly cheated by Satyendar Jain were also named as accused.

Advertisement

Senior Advocate N Hariharan, representing Satyendar Jain, had expressed his displeasure when Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, had informed Goel on September 15 that they were going to move the plea for transfer of bail proceedings.

“It’s really unfair,” the advocate had said. “Totally uncalled for. They’re preempting things. We’ll oppose it tooth and nail.”

The Rose Avenue Court scheduled the next hearing on the transfer of case for September 30.