New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi High Court to decide the bail plea of former AAP minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case.
A bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti said bail matters should not be unnecessarily adjourned and asked the high court to decide Jain's plea during the next hearing. The apex court was hearing Jain's plea against the high court order passed on May 28, adjourning his default bail plea to July 9, while issuing notice.
Senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing Jain, said his client is challenging the order of adjournment and the high court could not have given a long adjournment of six weeks. The plea contended that a similar issue was pending before the top court, and it should be tagged with it.
The bench said since a three-judge bench of the apex court is examining the point of law, it would not be appropriate for it to deal with the matter. “It goes without saying that bail prayers are not unnecessarily adjourned, and thus we hope and trust that the High Court takes a call in the matter when it is listed next”, said the bench.
In May, the high court had sought the Enforcement Directorate’s response and asked it to file a status report on the matter. The high court had also called for the nominal roll of Jain from prison and listed the matter for further hearing on July 9. In May 2022, the ED had arrested Jain in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019, in the case lodged by the CBI.
