New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain for six weeks on medical grounds. As per the order, the bail has been granted till July 11 and the next Supreme Court hearing is on July 10.
Satyendar Jain Granted Bail: All You Need To Know
Jain has been under custody since May 2022 as an undertrial in a money laundering case. The order was passed by a vacation bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice PS Narasimha.
The six-week interim bail granted to Satyendar Jain allows him to get treated in a private hospital of his choice. However, the bail will be subject to conditions imposed by the trial court. The bench added that Jain shall not go to the media “to make any statement on any issue” and that he shall not attempt to influence the witnesses.
The SC bench refused to accept the Enforcement Directorate’s objection that Jain should be independently evaluated by the AIIMS Delhi. It said that this plea can be considered at a later stage. The matter will be considered next on July 11, when the bench will consider Jain’s latest medical reports.
Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for the former Delhi Minister, submitted that he is seeking bail only on medical grounds and not on merits at present. “I have very strong grounds which I’m not touching today. I’m seeking on medical grounds today. Rest you can examine later”, he said at the outset.
On the contrary, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, submitted that Jain should be examined by a body of experts from AIIMS or RML Delhi. He raised doubts about the medical certificates from the Lok Nayak Hospital Delhi, as Jain was previously the Health Minister of Delhi. “He was the Health Minister, these hospitals were under him. The medical records can be fudged. Let him be examined by a panel of doctors from AIIMS or Delhi. If he report is in his favour, I will concede.”, ASG said.
When the Supreme Court bench asked the ASG why he was not expressing confidence in the medical records, Raju said that the previous conduct of Jain raised doubts. Earlier, when the ED argued that he should be examined by AIIMS, he withdrew the application for medical bail. “He may have a genuine case, I will concede in that case. But history is that he feigns illness, gets fake reports, the moment we want independent evaluation- he withdraws…”, Raju said. He added that till May 13, he was fit and on the next day, he suddenly developed illness.
In response, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that LNJP hospital is the mandatory referral hospital for Tihar jail. “The man has developed muscular atrophy. He has become a skeleton. Has lost 35 kgs”.
“As far as weight is considered, he is a Jain and I am told that he is not taking food in jail and he is fasting”, Raju responded while reiterating the demand for an independent evaluation. The ASG further argued that there is no prejudice caused to him by an order for AIIMS examination as Jain is anyway in a hospital.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had in 2017 accused Jain and others of laundering money to the tune of Rs 11.78 crore during 2010-2012 and Rs 4.63 crores during 2015-16, when he had become a minister in the Delhi government. It was alleged that the money laundering exercise was carried out through three companies – Paryas Infosolution, Indo Metalimpex, Akinchan Developers, and Mangalayatan Projects.
Going by the allegations, Jain had given money to some Kolkata-based entry operators of different shell companies for accommodation entries, through his associates. The entry operators had then allegedly re-routed the money in the form of investment through shares in Jain-linked companies after ‘layering them through shell companies’.
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