Delhi High Court reserves verdict in plea by ED against order allowing Satyendar Jain to have counsel during interrogation

The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its order on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging a lower court order allowing a counsel to be present during the interrogations of Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with a money-laundering case..Justice Yogesh Khanna reserved his verdict in the matter after hearing counsel for all parties. .Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the ED, argued that Jain is not yet an accused in the matter and, therefore, Article 20 protection cannot be granted to him. The ASG submitted that even if a person is arrested, he will acquire the status of an 'accused' only after being named in the FIR or complaint. "We anyways have facilities for video recording but he (Jain) has given a written statement saying he does not want this facility. I can submit his statement in a sealed cover as well," the ASG said. Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Jain, contradicted the ASG's submission, stating that ED's own remand application names him as an accused. "They have repeatedly called me an accused. Their remand application starts with the word accused. I am searching for his certificate of not being an accused," he said. Singhvi added that the petition is an abuse of process of law and should be dismissed with costs. "They have had a lawyer present during his investigation at a distance for the last few days. It has been going on without any issue. This petition is an abuse of process of law and should therefore be dismissed with costs.".A special court had last week granted custody of Jain to ED till June 9. However, on request of his counsel, the Court said that a lawyer should be present during Jain's interrogation at a distance from where he could see the proceedings, but not hear them.The ED then approached the Delhi High Court challenging the condition stating that it would vitiate Jain's remand to the agency. The plea was mentioned before Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi's Bench on Thursday, after which it was listed for urgent hearing today. .Jain, who had been facing a probe in a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was arrested by ED sleuths in a related money laundering case.Jain is a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) politician and currently holds the health, home, power, public works department, industries, urban development and flood, irrigation and water portfolios in the Delhi government.The ED has alleged that he is involved in a money laundering case, and that there is no clarity as to who the beneficiaries of this laundered money are. It has also been alleged that this is not a one time offence..ED moves Delhi High Court against order allowing Satyendar Jain to have counsel present during interrogation