Delhi HC grants bail to Satyendar Jain's co-accused in ED case
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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to two accused -- Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain -- in a case of alleged money laundering involving senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri granted regular bail to the duo nearly 10 days after the former Delhi minister was granted relief.
A court had granted bail to Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022, citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration".
The case pertains to allegations against Satyendar Jain of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain were business associates of the former Delhi minister and abetted the commission of the offence.
Vaibhav Jain was represented by senior advocate Siddharth Aggarwal and lawyer Malak Bhatt. Ankush Jain was represented by senior advocate Rebecca John.
On September 30, the high court refused to grant default bail to them on the grounds that the charge sheet filed against them was allegedly incomplete.
Satyendar Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022, by the ED in the case. Ankush and Vaibhav were arrested on June 30, 2022.
The ED's money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on a CBI FIR registered against Satyender Jain in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In 2022, the trial court had taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the ED against Satyendar Jain, his wife and eight others, including the four firms, in connection with the money laundering case.
Having spent over 18 months in prison in the Rs 4.8-crore money-laundering case, Satyendar Jain walked out of Tihar Jail on October 18.
The CBI had chargesheeted Jain prior to his arrest in 2022 for allegedly amassing assets worth Rs 1.47 crore and later the ED attached in connection with the investigation properties with Rs 4.81 crore belonging to four companies allegedly linked to Jain and his relatives.
PTI with inputs from other sources