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SC extends Satyendar Jain’s interim bail till July 24
Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain has submitted medical reports to the Supreme Court to support his request for an extension of interim bail in a money laundering case, as he requires multiple surgeries. The court has scheduled a detailed hearing for July 24 and asked the Enforcement Directorate to review the medical reports. Jain will remain out on interim bail in the meantime. The ED has requested that Jain present himself before a medical board from AIIMS, as they do not trust the reports from other hospitals. Jain has been accused of money laundering through four companies.
Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain on Monday submitted medical reports in the Supreme Court, pressing the need to extend his interim bail in a money laundering case for letting him undergo multiple surgeries.
A bench, comprising justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh, fixed the matter for a detailed hearing on July 24, asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to go through Jain’s medical reports and respond. In the meantime, the Court clarified, Jain will remain out on interim bail.
Appearing for Jain, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi pointed out that three hospitals — GB Pant, Apollo and Max — have advised surgeries for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, making out a case to let Jain remain out on bail for the medical procedures.
However, additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing ED, submitted that the agency would like Jain to present himself before a medical board to be constituted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital since ED does not trust the reports of the other three hospitals.
To this, the bench asked Raju to first peruse the reports submitted by Jain and argue accordingly on the next date of hearing.
Jain has been accused of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him. Subsequent to the probe, ED had last year attached assets worth ₹4.81 crore belonging to these companies. The ED probe began pursuant to a 2017 case registered against Jain by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Jain is on bail in the CBI case.
Jain, who helmed several important portfolios as a minister, including health and prison, was arrested by ED in May last year.
On May 26 this year, the top court granted Jain interim bail till July 11 on medical grounds after turning down ED’s contention that his health status must be examined first by a panel of doctors from AIIMS.
The court reprieve for Jain in the money laundering case had come a day after he was put on oxygen support and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital for further treatment after he fell in a bathroom in Tihar jail.
While granting him interim bail for a little over six weeks on May 26, the court had restrained Jain from talking to the media while granting him bail. It directed him against influencing witnesses, tampering with evidence, or leaving Delhi.
Jain, who was arrested in May last year had approached the top court after a trial court in November 2022 and the Delhi high court on April 6 refused to order his release on bail.
Jain claimed he is facing extreme health problems as he complained of facing depression, patch on lungs after suffering from Covid-19 last year, acute lumbar pain and associated vertigo, degeneration of intervertebral discs and sleep apnea.
