President Droupadi Murmu has granted permission to prosecute former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain in a money-laundering case, sources told India Today TV. Jain, previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is currently out on bail. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has defended him, alleging that the case is “politically motivated”.
The Union Home Ministry recently sought sanction under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to proceed with the case in court. Officials claim that there is sufficient evidence to charge Satyendra Jain with laundering money through four shell companies allegedly linked to him. Based on material from the ED, the President approved the prosecution request, as confirmed by the sources.
The Case
The Enforcement Directorate initiated its case against Jain in connection with alleged hawala transactions and arrested him in May 2022. At the time, Jain held key portfolios such as Health and Power in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government.
The case pertains to an August 2017 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which accused Jain and others of possessing disproportionate assets. A chargesheet filed by the CBI in December 2018 claimed that Jain’s assets were valued at approximately ₹1.47 crore, about 217% more than his known income between 2015 and 2017.
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According to the ED, its investigation revealed that “during 2015-16, while serving as a public servant, Satyendar Jain and four companies under his control received accommodation entries (hawala transactions) amounting to ₹4.81 crore from bogus firms.” The agency further alleged that “these funds were used to directly purchase agricultural land or to repay a loan taken for land acquisition in and around Delhi.”
The case against Jain continues to be a flashpoint in the broader political battle between the BJP and the AAP with the ongoing litigation.
