A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain in a money-laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam, PTI reported.
The Rouse Avenue Court noted that Jain had been in jail for a prolonged period and that his trial had not begun.
The bail was granted on a bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount.
On October 5, the judge reserved the order on Jain’s bail application after hearing arguments from the Aam Aadmi Party leader and the Enforcement Directorate, The Hindu reported.
Jain’s counsel had submitted that keeping him in custody for longer would not serve any purpose.
The former Delhi health minister, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2022, is accused of having laundered money through several companies allegedly linked to him.
The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a case in August 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. A year later, the agency filed a chargesheet against Jain, his wife and four of his associates.
In April 2022, the Enforcement Directorate attached immovable property worth Rs 4.8 crore belonging to Akinchan Developers Private Limited, Indo Metal Impex Private Limited, Paryas Infosolutions Private Limited, Manglayatan Projects Private Limited and JJ Ideal Estate Private Limited.
The Enforcement Directorate had told a trial court that these firms were only paper companies that did not earn any income and Jain was in “de facto control” of them.
In May 2023, Jain was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on medical grounds after he was hospitalised following complaints of breathing problems. He returned to jail after about nine months on March 18 after the Supreme Court rejected his regular bail petition.
The Supreme Court had also cancelled his interim bail at the time and asked him to surrender immediately.
BJP’s ‘conspiracy’ exposed, says Aam Aadmi Party
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday noted that Jain had been granted bail after spending “more than two years in jail”.
“What was his fault?” Kejriwal asked in a social media post. “Several raids were conducted at his place. Not even a single penny was recovered.”
The former Delhi chief minister said that Jain’s only fault was that he “built mohalla clinics and made all [medical] treatment free for all the people of Delhi”.
He added: “[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi ji put him in jail for closing down mohalla clinics and stopping free treatment for the poor.”
Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia said that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s “conspiracy” had been exposed.
“He [Jain] built excellent government hospitals for the people of Delhi,” he told reporters. “Troubled by this, BJP arrested Satyendra Jain and sent him to jail as part of a conspiracy.”
Sisodia added: “Today Narendra Modi and BJP should apologise to Satyendra Jain and the people of Delhi.”
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