President Murmu Authorises Prosecution Of AAP Leader Satyendar Jain In Money Laundering Case Linked To Hawala Transactions

President Droupadi Murmu has authorised the prosecution of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain in relation to an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation, Hindustan Times reported.

Jain was indicted by the ED in a case concerning money laundering, allegedly connected to hawala transactions, leading to his arrest in May 2022.

The previous week saw the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking approval from the President to initiate prosecution against the former minister of Delhi in the erstwhile AAP government.

The MHA has requested sanction against 60-year-old Jain, in accordance with Section 218 of the Indian Civil Security Code. This request was prompted by an ED investigation and the existence of "adequate evidence", as reported by anonymous officials to the news agency PTI.

At present, Jain, who is out on bail, has been indicted by the ED. The case of money laundering originates from a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in August 2017. The report accuses Jain and others of holding assets that are disproportionate to their known sources of income.

In December 2018, the CBI submitted a chargesheet, claiming that Jain's suspected disproportionate assets were approximately Rs 1.47 crore. This figure was around 217 per cent more than his acknowledged income sources from 2015 to 2017.

On 18 October 2024, Satyendar Jain exited Tihar Jail in Delhi, where he was greeted enthusiastically by AAP leaders and supporters. A court in Delhi has provided him with bail in a case of money laundering that the ED is investigating. The ED stated that there is "no likelihood" of the trial commencing, much less concluding.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne's court, taking into account that the AAP leader had been imprisoned for an extended period, ordered Jain's release on a personal bond of Rs 50,000.

Jain was taken into custody in May 2022 and stayed in jail, except for a 10-month interval from 26 May 2023, to 18 March 2024, during which he was released on medical bail.

In the recent Delhi assembly election, Jain was defeated in the Shakur Basti seat by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Karnail Singh, with a margin of approximately 21,000 votes.