The Delhi High Court on September 26 asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to a petition by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Satyendar Jain challenging a local order to transfer a money laundering case against him to another court.
Justice Yogesh Khanna asked the investigating agency to submit a “short reply” while posting the case for further hearing on September 28.
Also read: Satyendar Jain bail: Delhi court allows ED plea seeking transfer of money laundering case
The AAP leader was arrested by ED on May 30 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on a Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) disproportionate assets FIR registered against him in 2017. Mr. Jain has since been in judicial custody.
In his plea before the high court, Mr. Jain has challenged a recent order of Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta transferring the case to Special Judge Vikas Dhull from Special Judge Geetanjali Goel who was hearing his bail plea.
The hearing for Mr. Jain’s bail plea has been ongoing since August 30 at the court of Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, who on September 13 had directed ED’s counsel to submit a fresh chart of entities and shares in the alleged money laundering case registered against Mr. Jain and two of his alleged aides.
“The order (for transfer) itself states the judge is upright and honest. Where is the question of transfer then? The bias is unfounded. It sends a wrong message,” the counsel for Mr. Jain argued.
