Delhi Court allows ED to probe Satyendar Jain in excise policy case

The AAP legislator is set to be questioned on September 16, 22 and 23 in connection with the alleged scam.

A Delhi court has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate city minister Satyendar Jain in the Tihar jail in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

New Delhi, India - October 10, 2020: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain speaks during a press conference, at Civil Lines in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, October 10, 2020. (Photo by Amal KS/ Hindustan Times) (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Court sources and lawyers involved in the case confirmed that on Wednesday, the ED’s application to interrogate Jain was allowed by special judge Geetanjali Goel, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator is set to be questioned on September 16, 22 and 23 in connection with the alleged scam.

Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had last month recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Delhi’s now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22 over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses. Apart from this, there were also “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” to provide post-tender “undue benefits to liquor licensees”, said officials.

The AAP has maintained that the allegations of corruption are politically motivated and accused BJP of trying to buy MLAs to oust the Kejriwal-led Delhi government.

On Thursday, one of Jain’s lawyers, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that the minister will be questioned in prison while in judicial custody, even though no order has been made available on the court’s website or with the counsel.

The ED application was moved before special judge Goel since Jain is currently in judicial custody in connection to his involvement in a money laundering case.

Meanwhile, the ED on Thursday orally told the court that the probe agency will be moving a plea seeking transfer of Jain’s bail application in connection with the money laundering case from the current court to some other court. The bail hearing was in its final stages, with the ED seeking an additional date to address further arguments.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the agency, told special judge Goel that he has instructions to move a plea seeking the transfer of bail proceedings from the current court.

Senior advocate N Hari Haran, appearing for Jain, opposed the plea and said that it is really “unfair” and uncalled for as the agency did not object when the first bail application was rejected by the court in June. “They are pre-empting things. This is totally uncalled for and really unfair. We will oppose it tooth and nail,” the senior counsel told the court.

The judge, without making any remarks, posted the matter for hearing on September 20.

Earlier, the judge had pulled up the ED in the last few hearings over its probe in the money laundering case. On September 8, the judge had asked the ED why it went beyond the CBI case by investigating alleged proceeds of crime not mentioned in their charge sheet, and sought an explanation as to what was the criminality in this case.

At one point, it had even remarked that the companies said to be cheated by the AAP leader were also accused in the case.