Delhi Court grants bail to AAP leader Satyendar Jain in money laundering case

A Delhi Court Friday granted bail to senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain in the money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). .Jain has been behind bars since May 2022 when he was arrested by the central agency. However, he also remained out of jail on medical bail between May 2023 and March 2024. Considering the prolonged trial and incarceration of about 18 months, Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court today granted regular bail to Jain. .The trial court had earlier rejected Jain's bail plea on November 17, 2022. He then challenged the order before Delhi High Court.In April 2023, the High Court also rejected his plea. Later, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail on medical grounds on May 30, 2023.He remained outside jail till March 2024 when the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea on merits and also cancelled his medical bail. "Satyendar Kumar Jain was released on bail on medical ground on 30.05.2022 [2023], which has continued till this day. He shall now surrender forthwith before the Special Court," a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal said in its March 18 order.Jain then moved a fresh round of bail plea before the trial court and succeeded in getting relief today. .The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had initially registered a case against Jain under Sections 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) read with 13(e) (disproportionate assets) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.The case was registered on the allegation that Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons between 2015 and 2017 which he could not satisfactorily account for.Later, the ED also registered a case and alleged several companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries amounting to ₹4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through a hawala route.