NEW DELHI: Delhi's former health minister Satyendar Kumar Jain lodged at Tihar Prison is being questioned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Friday in an alleged money laundering case.
The ED had initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2017 against Jain and others under the provisions of sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code.
During the course of the investigation, on March 3, 2022, ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs. 4.81 Crore belonging to Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd., Indo MetalimpexPvt Ltd, ParyasInfosolutions Pvt. Ltd., Manglayatan Projects Pvt. Ltd., J.J. Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd., and others under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
An investigation by ED revealed that during the period 2015-16, when Jain was a public servant, the above-mentioned four companies (beneficially owned and controlled by him) received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs.4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata based entry operators through Hawala route.
These amounts were utilized for the direct purchase of agricultural land or for the repayment of loans taken for the purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi. The accused persons were therefore found to be involved in the activity connected with the “Proceeds of Crime” generated as a result of criminal activity related to the scheduled offence and thereby have committed offences of Section 3 of PMLA 2002.
Jain was arrested on 30.05.2022 and Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain were arrested on 30.06.2022 for the commission of an offence under Section 3 of PMLA, 2002. These three accused are currently in Judicial Custody.