President grants approval for prosecution of Satyendar Jain

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu has granted prosecution sanctions against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, paving the way for legal action in connection with an ongoing money-laundering investigation led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Jain, a former Delhi minister, was arrested in May 2022 by the ED as part of its probe into alleged hawala dealings.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had formally requested the President’s approval for the sanction last week. The sanction was sought under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, citing substantial evidence gathered by the ED in the case.

Jain, who has been out on bail, is facing charges in a money-laundering investigation that stems from an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in August 2017.

The case revolves around allegations of disproportionate assets linked to Jain’s financial activities during 2015-17. According to the CBI’s December 2018 chargesheet, Jain’s assets were found to be ₹1.47 crore higher than his known sources of income, an increase of 217 per cent.

Despite the serious charges, Jain walked out of Delhi’s Tihar Jail on October 18, 2024, following the granting of bail by a Delhi court. Special Judge Vishal Gogne noted that the trial was unlikely to begin anytime soon, thus supporting the decision to release Jain on a personal bond of ₹50,000. Jain had spent a considerable amount of time in custody, except for a 10-month period between May 2023 and March 2024 when he was granted medical bail.

In the recent Delhi Assembly elections, Jain faced a significant defeat, losing the Shakur Basti seat to BJP candidate Karnail Singh by a margin of nearly 21,000 votes.

With the prosecution sanctions now in place, the legal process against Jain is expected to move forward, intensifying the political heat surrounding the AAP leader.