ED registers criminal case against Satyendar Jain

New Delhi :  In fresh trouble for Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the ED has registered a case of money laundering against him and others on the basis of an FIR filed by the CBI recently. The probe agency officials said the criminal case was registered against the minister under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will probe the alleged ‘proceeds of crime’ in the case.

Jain and others associated with him in the case will be summoned by the ED to record their statements. It will also identify his properties and that of other accused which could be attached under the PMLA. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier said that Jain, who is Delhi’s health minister, could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he is a shareholder.

It had registered a case against him, his wife and four others on charges of money laundering. CBI sources had said that Rs 4.63 crore was allegedly received through Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited in 2015-16. They had said Jain and his wife were allegedly holders of one-third of shares in these companies during the period.

During CBI questioning, the minister and his wife could not explain the source of Rs 1.62 crore — approximately one- third of the funds received by the companies during 2015-17, they had said, adding Jain was examined twice by the agency while his wife was quizzed once. The CBI has alleged that Jain had control over these companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding one-third of shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.

The probe agency had also claimed that these were shell firms used for parking money in the form of investments in equity shares in connivance with Kolkata-based shell companies. “This apart, before becoming a public servant, he was allegedly involved in laundering Rs 11.78 crore during the years 2010-12 through these companies as well as other firms also based in New Delhi,” the CBI had said.

The funds were allegedly used to purchase over 200 bighas of land in Auchandi, Bawana, Karala and Mohammed Mazvi villages in Delhi between 2010-16, CBI sources had said. The Aam Aadmi Party, however, had refuted the CBI’s allegations and said that reports of Jain’s involvement in shell companies and benami land deals were “baseless”.

“The CBI is planting a fictitious amount of Rs 1.62 crore as income for Jain. AAP challenges the CBI to substantiate the charge through some solid evidence. It is a lie, they should prove it,” the party had said.