Delhi High Court Rejects Satyendar Jain's Plea Challenging Order To Transfer Money laundering Case

Justice Yogesh stated that all facts were duly considered by the Principal District and Session's Judge while transferring the case, which is being probed by the ED.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by Delhi minister Satyendar Jain challenging the order issued by the lower court to transfer his alleged money laundering case to another court.

Justice Yogesh stated that all facts were duly considered by the Principal District and Session's Judge while transferring the case, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and it cannot be held that the decision suffered from any illegality or needed interference.

"The question is not of an integrity or uprightness of the judge but is of an apprehension in the mind of a party," the court stated. "The petition is therefore, dismissed," the court said in its order, as reported by the news agency PTI.

Earlier in September, Jain had moved the high court challenging the September 23 order of the Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta, who transferred the money laundering case to Special Judge Vikas Dhull from Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, who was hearing his bail plea. The district judge's order was passed based on an application for transfer moved by the investigating agency.

The agency had argued that while there was no complaint against the judge hearing the matter, it was "a case of probable bias" in favour of the Delhi minister and there was an apprehension that it might not get an independent and impartial hearing. Jain argued before the high court that the ED cannot be allowed to “brow beat” a judge and seek transfer of the case citing "bias" without any basis.

The ED had arrested Jain and two others in the money laundering case based on a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR lodged against the AAP leader in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies linked to him.

The CBI had registered a DA case against Satyendar Jain on August 24, 2017, and filed a charge sheet against him on December 3, 2018, the agency official told ANI. Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case and sent to custody till June 9.

(With PTI, ANI Inputs)