Enforcement Directorate has arrested Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain for alleged money laundering case. The investigating agency has alleged that the minister was involved in hawala transactions back in 2015-16 with Kolkata based firm.
In hawala transactions two parties on their behalf transact money with the help of local agents in which funds do not pass through any formal banking channel.
In 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also filed a case against the minister under AAP government and his family in alleged money laundering case for worth ₹ 1.62 crore. The agency had alleged Mr Jain and his family of setting up four shell firms – companies with no real business – to lauder ₹ 11.78 crore in 2011-12 and ₹ 4.63 crore in 2015-16.
The ED has initiated its investigation on the basis of allegations and FIR by CBI.
This move can spark a new row between Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the Central government. Like AAP, other opposition leaders like Telangana’s K Chandrashekar Rao and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have often alleged the centre for using central agencies for harassing them.
Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has speculated that the arrest has been made as the eyes are on the upcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh, where Mr Jain is standing as AAP’s in-charge.
“A fake case is being run against Satyendar Jain for eight years. Till now ED (Enforcement Directorate) has called many times. In between, ED stopped calling for many years as they did not get anything. Now they started again because Satyendar Jain is the election in-charge of Himachal,” the Deputy Chief Minister said in a tweet.
“BJP is losing badly in Himachal. That is why Satyendar Jain has been arrested today so that he cannot go to Himachal. He will be released in a few days as the case is completely fake,” Mr Sisodia further said.
Elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held later in the year. The AAP government is hoping for a win after landslide victory in Punjab early in the year.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested the Delhi Health Minister two months after properties of worth ₹ 4.81 crore owned the minister and his family were shifted to the investigating agency.
Earlier in January this year, CM Kejriwal during an AAP rally had said that his sources have told him that Satyendar Jain may get arrested by the ED.
“From our sources, we have got to know that right before Punjab polls, in the coming few days, the ED is going to arrest Satyendar Jain. They are most welcome. Previously too, the centre had conducted raids on Satyendar Jain but got nothing,” Mr Kejriwal had told media before Punjab Assembly Elections.
