MHA seeks President’s approval for prosecution of former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain

The request for sanction was made based on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation and the presence of “adequate evidence.”

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has requested the President to grant prosecution sanction against former Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain.

Former Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain. (HT_PRINT)

The ministry has sought the sanction against the 60-year-old politician under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, officials said.

The request for sanction was made based on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation and the presence of “adequate evidence,” they added.

Jain was booked by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case linked to alleged hawala dealings and was arrested in May 2022.

Currently, out on bail, Jain has been chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate.

The money-laundering case stems from an August 2017 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jain and others, alleging possession of disproportionate assets.

In December 2018, the CBI filed a chargesheet, saying that the alleged disproportionate assets amounted to ₹1.47 crore, about 217 percent higher than Jain's known sources of income between 2015-17.

Satyendar Jain walked out of Tihar Jail on October 18, receiving a warm welcome from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and supporters.

He was granted bail by a city court in a money laundering case being investigated by the federal agency (ED), which said there was “no likelihood” of the trial starting, let alone being completed.

The court of Special Judge Vishal Gogne, while ordering Jain’s release on a personal bond of ₹50,000, considered the fact that the AAP leader had been incarcerated for a long time.

Jain was arrested in May 2022 and had remained behind bars, except for a period of 10 months between May 26, 2023, and March 18, 2024, when he was on medical bail.

Satyendar Jain lost the Shakur Basti seat to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Karnail Singh by nearly 21,000 votes in the recently held Delhi assembly polls.

With PTI inputs