The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain on health grounds.
A vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha granted bail to Jain for six weeks to get treated at a private hospital of his choice, reports Live Law.
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The bail granted to Jain is subject to conditions. Jain shall not go to the media “to make any statement on any issue” and he shall not attempt to influence the witnesses, the court said.
Jain has been under custody since May 2022 as an undertrial in a money laundering case.
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The court also set aside the objection by the Enforcement Directorate While granting bail to Jain and said that it could be considered at a later stage. The ED had sought an independent evaluation of Jain by AIIMS Delhi.
On Thursday, Jain was hospitalised and later shifted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after he collapsed in the bathroom of Tihar Jail where he has been housed under detention in the money-laundering case against him.
Jain was accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation of laundering money to the tune of Rs 16.5 crore during 2010-12 and 2015-16. The ED later lodged a case based on the CBI’s FIR. He was arrested in June last year and has been in custody since then.
Demanding that Jain be examined by an independent body of experts from AIIMS or RML Delhi, ED’s counsel Additional Solicitor General SV Raju cast doubts on the medical certificates from Lok Nayak Hospital since Jain was the Health minister of the capital until recently.
He was the Health Minister, these hospitals were under him. The medical records can be fudged. Let him be examined by a panel of doctors from AIIMS or Delhi. If the report is in his favour, I will concede,” he said.
“History is that he feigns illness, gets fake reports, the moment we want independent evaluation – he withdraws…”, ASG Raju submitted, adding that till May 13, he was fit and on the next day, he suddenly developed illness.
Appearing for Jain, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that he is only seeking bail on medical grounds and not on merits.
(With Live Law inputs)
