The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s residence and other locations in the national capital in connection with a money laundering case filed against the minister. .
The searches were also carried out on the premises of Mr. Jain’s relatives and associates. The ED had earlier taken Mr. Jain into custody, following which arrest on money laundering charge, for recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The agency had last month attached assets worth ₹4.81 crore that were in the name of Akinchan Developers, Indo Metalimpex, Paryas Infosolutions, Mangalayatan Projects and J.J. Ideal Estate, Swati Jain, Sushila Jain and Indu Jain.
According to the ED, its probe is based on a First Information Report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Mr. Jain and others in August 2017, on the charge of assets disproportionate to known sources of income acquired during 2015-17 when he was a Delhi minister.
The ED had earlier said: “During the period 2015-16, when Satyendar Kumar Jain was a public servant, the above mentioned companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs.4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through ‘hawala’ route”.
The funds were used to buy land or for repaying loans taken to acquire agricultural land in and around Delhi, as alleged.
The CBI case also names Mr. Jain’s wife Poonam Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain and Ankush Jain as accused. In December 2018, it had filed a charge sheet against Mr. Jain and others after the Union Home Ministry gave sanction to prosecute him. The alleged disproportionate assets during the check period were valued as Rs.1.47 crore, as per CBI findings.
Following Mr. Jain’s arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party had said that the action was taken as he had been made in-charge for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.
