Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s custody to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was extended by five more days on Thursday.
He’s being investigated for money laundering.
The ED had requested that Jain’s remand be prolonged for another five days, thus he was brought before the Rouse Avenue Court by ED personnel.
“We recovered a number of items during the raid and will have to confront him with the persons whose homes were seized,” the ED officer stated.
After hearing the arguments, the judge granted the ED’s request and extended Jain’s detention for another five days.
Multiple places belonging to Jain and his known persons, including relatives, were raided lately by the Enforcement Directorate. A total of Rs 2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kilograms were recovered.
On June 6, the ED conducted a search operation at the homes of Jain, his wife, and accomplices who had either directly or indirectly aided him or participated in money laundering procedures, according to the ED.
“We conducted raids at the premises belonging to Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Naveen Jain and Siddharth Jain, the Directors of Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd, G.S. Matharoo, Chairman of Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust which runs Prudence Group of Schools, Yogesh Kumar Jain, Director in Ram Prakash Jewellers Pvt Ltd, father-in-law of Ankush Jain and Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust,” the ED official had said.
During the inquiry, the ED discovered that one Lala Sher Singh Jivan Vigyan Trust accomplice had provided accommodation entries for the transfer of land from a firm beneficially owned by Jain to accomplice family members in order to alienate the property and thwart the confiscation procedure.
Various incriminating documents and digital records were seized during the search. The aforementioned premises were searched and cash worth Rs 2.85 crore and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg were discovered from unknown sources and seized under the PMLA.
On the basis of an FIR filed by the CBI in 2017 under section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the PC Act, 1988, the ED launched a money-laundering probe into Jain’s wife Poonam Jain, as well as Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain, and Ankush Jain.
On December 3, 2018, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and other defendants. According to the charge sheet, Jain acquired assets that were disproportionate to his known sources of income while serving as a Minister in the Delhi government from February 14, 2015 to May 31, 2017.
The CBI has accused Jain, his wife and others accused for commission of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Earlier, the ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned and controlled by Jain on March 31, 2022.
Jain was placed under arrest on May 30 by the ED under section 19 of the PMLA. Further investigation in the matter is on.
(with inputs from IANS)