AAP Leader Satyendar Jain To Face Prosecution In Money Laundering Case After President Murmu’s Green Signal

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has granted sanction to prosecute AAP leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. The case, being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), involves alleged hawala dealings.

According to sources, the sanction against the 60-year-old former Delhi health minister was sought under section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The section governs the prosecution of public servants and judges. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had requested the President to provide sanction to prosecute Jain on the basis of an ED investigation and the presence of "adequate proof".

Section 218 of the BNSS governs the prosecution of public servants and judges, outlining the procedure for bringing charges against the accused for alleged offences committed while performing their official duties.

The ED is now expected to file a fresh supplementary chargesheet, informing the court about the approval of the prosecution sanction by the President. 

Jain was arrested in May 2022 in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged hawala dealings. He is currently out on bail and has been chargesheeted by the ED.

At the time of his arrest, Jain held the health, power, and several other portfolios. He is currently out on bail and has been charge-sheeted by the ED.

The case stems from an August 2017 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jain and others. The CBI alleged that Jain possessed disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.47 crore, exceeding his known sources of income during 2015-17.

The ED probe found that Jain's companies received "accommodation entries" (hawala) worth Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies. These amounts were used to purchase agricultural land or repay loans.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal defended Jain, calling him "hardcore honest and patriot" who was being framed in a "false case".

Delhi High Court Sought Jain's Response

Earlier, the Delhi High Court asked AAP leader Satyendar Jain to respond to the Enforcement Directorate's plea to postpone arguments on framing charges in a money laundering case against him. The ED wants to defer the charges until a supplementary prosecution complaint is filed, citing ongoing investigations by the CBI.

The case is rooted in allegations of money laundering and disproportionate assets against Jain. The CBI had filed a chargesheet in 2018, accusing Jain of possessing assets worth Rs 1.47 crore, exceeding his known sources of income by 217%. The ED later took over the investigation, claiming Jain used four companies to launder money.

Jain argued that the investigation is incomplete and it would be in the interest of justice to hear arguments on charges only after the probe is finished. The ED, however, wants the court to direct the special court to defer the hearing on the charges until the supplementary chargesheet is filed.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on March 3.