A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain to Enforcement Directorate's custody till June 9 in a money laundering case registered against him in 2017.
Special Judge (CBI) Geetanjali Goel passed the order for custodial interrogation, even as the ED, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought custody of Jain for 14 days.
Jain, a senior minister of Delhi government, was arrested on Monday.
On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that Jain has been targeted due to political reasons.
"I have personally studied this case, it is completely fake. We neither tolerate corruption nor we do corruption. We have a very honest government," he said.
During the arguments on remand plea, Mehta said Jain's custodial interrogation was required to unravel a chequered layer of money involved in the matter.
"We don't know if he was laundering somebody else's money, and other potential beneficiaries of this money laundering," he said.
Mehta claimed the offence was of a recurring nature which may still be on.
Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Jain, said that ED has not been able to show any evidence. "His house has been searched on two occasions. His bank accounts also seized. He was given share in these companies as a consultant. He was an architect. What company does is none of his business," the counsel claimed.
The ED claimed Jain was required to be interrogated for his alleged dealings with Kolkata's shell companies in transferring cash from Delhi through Hawala and purchase of agricultural lands through these funds in 2011-12. Jain has already been facing a probe by the CBI in a case of alleged acquisition of disproportionate assets during February 14, 2015 to May 31, 2017.
(Published 31 May 2022, 10:53 IST)
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