Justice Yogesh Khanna dismissed Jain's plea challenging the order of September 23, 2022, passed by the Principal District and Sessions Judge transferring his money laundering case from one court to another.
In the order, Justice Khanna noted that the question is not of the integrity of the judge but of apprehension in the mind of a party (Enforcement Directorate).
He also observed that the facts show that the federal agency did not merely harbor an apprehension of bias but had acted upon it as well by rushing to the HC and therefore the apprehension cannot be said to be flimsy or not reasonable.
"The apprehensions raised were not at a belated stage, as the request for an independent medical evaluation was consistently rude," the court further observed.
The court held that the district judge while transferring the case has considered all the aspects and therefore does not suffer from any illegality and does not require any interference.
The minister had moved Delhi High Court challenging Principal District and Sessions Court of Rouse Avenue Court order allowing ED Petition for transfer of his case to another judge.
The 57-year-old was arrested by the ED on 30 May under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Satyendar Jain, a minister without portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is being probed by the agency under the PMLA on charges of alleged hawala dealings. The minister has been accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has defended Jain as a "hardcore, honest patriot" who was being "framed in a false case". Kejriwal mentioned that the centre had wrongfully detained Delhi's health minister Satyendar Jain.
