The Enforcement Directorate on Monday begins questioning Poonam Jain, the wife of jailed Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, in connection with the money laundering case, news agency ANI reported. 


Jain, 57, was detained on May 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with suspected hawala transactions with a Kolkata-based business in 2015-16.






In a hawala system, two parties exchange money through local agents on their behalf without the cash going via conventional banking channels.


In August 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a complaint against Jain and his family for alleged money laundering of up to 1.62 crore.


According to the CBI, Jain and his family used four shell businesses (companies with no genuine activity) to launder 11.78 crore in 2011-12 and 4.63 crore in 2015-16.


The Enforcement Directorate launched its investigation after receiving the CBI's first information report, or FIR. As part of the investigation, the ED attached assets worth 4.81 crore belonging to Jain's family and firms "beneficially owned and managed" by him in April.


He is suspected of laundering money through four supposedly related entities. According to the Enforcement Directorate, the funds were used to purchase land.


Jain's counsel previously stated that he did not control the firms since he owned such a small percentage of them.


The arrest of Jain sparked a new battle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the national government over the alleged use of government agencies to intimidate political opponents.


On June 27, a special CBI court prolonged Jain's judicial detention till July 11.


(With Inputs From ANI)