Satyendar Jain, Delhi health minister, sent to ED custody till June 9

Satyendar Jain, who holds various portfolios, including health, home and power, in the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi, was produced in the Rouse Avenue Court.

Satyendar Jain, Delhi's health minister, was sent to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till June 9, a day he was arrested by the agency in a money laundering case.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain being produced at the Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday in New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

Jain, who holds various portfolios, including health, home and power, in the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi, was produced in the Rouse Avenue Court.

Special judge Geetanjali Goel remanded Jain in ED's custody, noting that his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy. Jain was represented by senior advocate N Hari Haran, while the solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared for the central agency.

Hours ago, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the ED case against his cabinet colleague is a fraud one (farzi), adding that his government “is honest and does not tolerate corruption”.

“We have faith in judiciary. This farzi (fake) case won't last. We are following the path of truth," Kejriwal told reporters.

In January, ahead of the Punjab Assembly election, Kejriwal had said he had learnt from sources that Jain could be arrested by the ED.

The central agency’s probe is based on a 2017 case of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in which it was alleged that the AAP leader and his wife Poonam Jain had amassed disproportionate assets worth ₹1.47 crore between February 2015 and May 2017, which was more than double their known sources of income.

The Delhi minister was arrested under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after around four hours of questioning on Monday, during which he reportedly gave evasive replies on the money trail.

Jain's colleague and education minister Manish Sisodia said the ED move on Jain is based on a "fake" case, as the latter has been made in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP is afraid of losing the election.