SC to hear Satyendar Jain plea tomorrow on transfer of case by ED to new judge

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Tuesday a plea by Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain against the transfer of a money laundering case against him to a new trial judge.

The Delhi High Court had earlier this month affirmed the decision to move the case to a new trial judge following a request by the Enforcement Directorate.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter on behalf of Jain in the top court on Monday.

The high court had rejected a plea by Jain – the AAP leader who was arrested by the ED in the case – against the transfer of the judge. “The question is not of integrity or uprightness of the judge or of the authorities over which Jain once had jurisdiction, but is of an apprehension in the mind of a party…,” Justice Yogesh Khanna had said.

“The facts show the department did not merely harbour such apprehension but rather had acted upon it by rushing to this court, hence it cannot be said to be flimsy or not reasonable,” he had added.

In the money laundering case, Jain and other accused had challenged the verdict by the trial court over transferring the money laundering case from special judge Geetanjali Goel to special judge Vikas Dhull.

“There is a grave likelihood and a reason to believe that the issues (in the case) have been premeditated,” the trial court had said in its September 23 order.

Hours after the order was passed, Jain rushed to the high court to challenge it.