A special court on Monday, 27 June, extended the judicial custody of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain by two weeks in connection with a money laundering probe.
A plea to extend the minister's custody was filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who is currently in the hospital, appeared for the case via video conference.
Earlier, Special Judge Geetanjli Goel had refused to accept the petition, arguing that neither Jain nor his counsel was present in court during the hearing, news agency PTI reported.
After she was informed of Jain's hospitalisation, the judge ordered the ED to ensure the minister's presence in court later in the day through video conferencing.
Jain was admitted to a hospital in Delhi last week after his oxygen level reduced.
Case Against Jain
Jain was arrested by the ED on 30 May under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The central agency had also attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies allegedly linked to the minister and his relatives.
The properties belonging to Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, JJ Ideal Estate Pvt Ltd, and others were attached in the case.
The ED said that its probe had revealed that during the period from 2015-16, the companies owned and controlled by Jain received accommodation entries of nearly Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through the "hawala route."
"These amounts were utilised for direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loan taken for the purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi," the ED had said.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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