Launching an all-out attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over Health minister Satyendar Jain’s arrest in a money-laundering case, Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said that the Delhi CM “presumed the role of a judge” in giving a “clean chit” to Jain on Tuesday.
Kejriwal had yesterday said that the ED case against Jain was “completely fake and politically motivated” and defended him as a “hardcore honest and patriotic” person. The AAP convenor also said that he himself would have taken action against him if there was even one per cent truth in the allegations.
“Yesterday, Mr Arvind Kejriwal, the doyen of the Aam Aadmi Party, in a press interface, gave Satyendar Jain a clean chit. He presumed the role of a judge and in the court of public opinion, absolved Satyendar Jain of all crimes,” she said while addressing a press conference.
Irani posed 10 questions to Kejriwal while accusing him of shielding Jain.
Question 1
“Mr Kejriwal, can you deny that Satyendar Jain, with the help of four shell companies — Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited, Akinchan Developers Put Ltd, Prayas Info Solutions Pvt Ltd, Managalyatan Projects Pvt Ltd — with the help of his associates and family members, can it be denied that Satyendar Jain laundered Rs 16 crore 39 lakh using 56 shell companies, with the support of known Hawala entry operators of Kolkata from financial year 2010-11 to 2015-16?”
Question 2
“Is it true Arvind Ji that Satyendar Jain has declared that money laundered amounting to Rs 16.39 crore, representing the undisclosed income under the Income Disclosure Scheme 2016, in the name of his close associates Ankush Jain, Vaibhav Jain is a self-declaration by Satyendar Jain in the year 2016?”
Question 3
“Is it true that the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax has held that the unaccounted income Rs 16.39 crore was not Ankush Jain’s, was not Vaibhav Jain’s, but that Satyendar Jain was the real owner of the income — ill-gotten money amounting to Rs 16.39 crore?”
Question 4
“Since Mr Kejriwal, in the case of Satyendar Jain, has declared himself to be a judge of Satyendar Jain’s moral character, is it true that the division bench of the Honourable Delhi High Court, through its order dates 21.08.2019, has confirmed the very findings of the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax that Satyendar Jain indeed, himself, is the real owner of the money laundered amounting to Rs 16.39 crore?
“If Mr Kejriwal does not have a copy of this court order, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party are more than happy to send him a copy of the same.”
Question 5
“Is it true that Satyendar Jain is the beneficial owner of shell companies namely Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited, Akinchan Developers Put Ltd, Prayas Info Solutions Pvt Ltd, Managalyatan Projects Pvt Ltd, and he controls these shell companies through share holdings, along with his wife?
“If you remember Mr Kejriwal’s press interface yesterday, this is the same lady that Mr Kejriwal extended support to. Is it true that in the company JJ Ideal Estate Limited, Satyendar Jain holds majority shares, in the name of not only his wife, but also his father?”
Question 6
“Is it true that Satyendar Jain has purchased more than 200 bighas of land in the vicinity of unauthorised colonies out of this laundered, unaccounted income of Rs 16.39 crore in the name of the shell companies that are beneficially owned by Satyendar Jain? And this land is in Karala, Auchandi, Nizampur, North and Northwest Delhi.”
Question 7
“Is it true that providing huge return on the investment in land in the vicinity of the unauthorised colonies by Satyendar Jain was the real reason why the Aam Aadmi Party regularised these unauthorised colonies?”
Question 8
“Is it true that Satyendar Jain is now the prime accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act?”
Question 9
“Is it true that Income Tax Department has taxed money laundered income of Rs 16.39 crore in the hands of Satyendar Jain?”
Question 10
“Mr Kejriwal yesterday said corruption tantamount to ‘gaddari’, hence the last question is this — Does he knowingly now give patronage to those who have not only deceived the treasury but also deceived people, to those Mr Kejriwal says — should be declared ‘dash ke gaddar’ (nation’s traitor)? How long, Mr Kejriwal, will this ‘desk ka gaddar’ (traitor of the nation) continue to receive your support?”
The ED case is based on a 2017 FIR of the CBI against Jain under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI complaint had said Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder. The agency had registered a case against him, his wife and four others on charges of corruption. The CBI has also questioned him in the case earlier.
It had said that Rs 4.63 crore was allegedly received through Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited in 2015-16. They had said Jain and his wife were allegedly holders of one-third of the shares in these companies during the period.
The CBI has alleged that Jain had control over these companies either as a directors or by holding one-third of the shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.