Top court extends Jain’s interim bail till Dec 11

New Delhi, December 4

The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim bail granted to senior AAP leader and former Delhi Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain till December 11 in a money laundering case on account of confusion about the Bench that would hear it.

While extending Jain’s interim bail, a Bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Sharma said, “The interim order cannot continue for such a long time. We will have to see…”

The comment came from Justice Trivedi after senior counsel AM Singhvi submitted on behalf of Jain that a special bench of Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Trivedi earlier heard arguments and now it’s a “part-heard” matter.

Since Justice Bopanna, who headed the Bench, was unavailable due to health reasons, the matter should be listed for hearing on another date, Singhvi said. Justice Trivedi deferred the hearing to next Monday to have clarity on the Bench.

The Supreme Court had on November 24 extended Jain’s interim bail till December 4 in view of the unavailability of Justice AS Bopanna, who headed the Bench hearing on his regular bail plea.

Arrested on May 30 last year by the ED, Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

The case emanates from a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He has challenged the April 6 order of the Delhi High Court, denying him bail in the case.

The top court had on May 26 granted a six-week interim bail to the AAP leader on medical grounds. Since then it has been extended several times. While extending the interim bail of the senior AAP leader, the top court had earlier asked him not to make the pendency of the case before it a ruse to delay the trial proceedings.