Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain Withdraws Plea In Supreme Court Challenging Transfer Of Case To Another Judge

Delhi Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain has withdrawn the petition filed by him in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order which upheld the transfer of his bail plea in a PMLA case to another court. Jain's counsel Vivek Jain Advocate on Record withdrew the matter so as to pursue the bail remedy expeditiously. Last week (October 11), a bench comprising Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on Jain's petition and posted the matter for hearing on October 31.On September 22, Principal District & Sessions Judge at Rouse Avenue, Delhi had allowed the application made by the Enforcement Directorate to transfer the plea of Satyender Jain from Special Judge Geetanjali Goel to Special Judge Vikas Dhull. The ED had raised apprehensions of bias against the judge on the ground that the ED's objections to shifting Jain to hospital were not considered. The ED had contended that Jain was faking illness and that being the Health Minister, he could influence doctors to fabricate medical records."The Ld. Judge is a very upright officer, however, all the circumstances taken together are sufficient to raise a reasonable apprehension in the mind of the petitioner as a common man, not of any actual bias but of a probable bias", the Sessions Court observed while allowing ED's plea.Though Jain challenged the transfer order before the Delhi High Court, his challenge was dismissed. A single bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna on October 1 upheld the transfer order after observing that the ED's apprehensions were "not flimsy or baseless".Jain continues to be under custody since his arrest by the ED on May 31, 2022 on money laundering allegations.Case Title : Satyendra Kumar Jain vs Directorate of Enforcement & Ors| SLP(Crl) 9528/2022

Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain Withdraws Plea In Supreme Court Challenging Transfer Of Case To Another Judge

Deepankar Malviya

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