“Will work for common man, fight against injustice", Satyendar Jain walks out of jail

Senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain, who came out of jail on Friday evening, said in his first reactions that he was arrested to stall the AAP government's projects such as Mohalla Clinics and Yamuna river cleaning. The former Delhi government minister also alleged that he and AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were arrested to dissuade common people from joining politics in the country.

He charged that his arrest was part of an attempt to defame Kejriwal who is working hard to ensure the government works for common man and not for a few chosen ones. "We will continue our fight against injustice and work for the common man," Jain told a crowd of AAP leaders and workers outside the Tihar jail after his release.

The AAP leader, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case in March 2022, was greeted by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, party leader Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and several MLAs and leaders. Jain hugged Sisodia and Singh as he stepped out of the Tihar Jail and waved to the waiting gathering of supporters. Earlier in the day, Jain was granted bail by a court in the city on the grounds of delay in start of trial and his long period of imprisonment.

A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to AAP leader and former Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case, citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration". Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30, 2022, on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him. He is currently in judicial custody.

"Considering the delay in trial and long incarceration of 18 months, and the fact that trail will take long to start, let alone conclude, accused is favourably suited for the relief," said Special Judge Vishal Gogne. The judge granted the relief on a bail bond Rs 50,000 with two sureties of like amount. The ED case stems from an FIR lodged against Jain by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Aam Aadmi Party Friday hailed a Delhi court granting bail to its senior leader Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case, describing the decision as a victory of truth and the defeat of another BJP "conspiracy". The Rouse Avenue court here granted bail to former Delhi health minister Jain, who was arrested by the enforcement directorate (ED) in May 2022, citing "delay in trial" and his "long incarceration".

"Satyamev Jayate. Another conspiracy of BJP failed as Satyendra Jain ji, who brought about health revolution in Delhi by building magnificent Mohalla Clinics, got bail from the court. The real face of BJP has been exposed again now in front of the entire country," the AAP said in a post on X.

The court granted the relief to Jain on a bail bond Rs 50,000 with two sureties of like amount. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said Jain got bail after spending more than two years in jail. "What was his fault?" he asked.

The former chief minister said multiple raids were conducted at Jain's place but not a single penny was recovered. "His only fault was that he built Mohalla Clinics and made health services free for the people of Delhi. Modi ji put him in jail so that Mohalla Clinics could be stooped, thus preventing free treatment for the poor. But God is with us," he posted on X. "Welcome back Satyendra!" he wrote.

SC grants bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in money laundering case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in connection with a money laundering case registered with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Ansari is the son of gangster-politician and former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, who died in jail a few months ago.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal gave the relief to Ansari. The apex court had on August 14 issued notice to the ED and sought its reply on the appeal filed by Ansari challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court, which rejected his bail.

Another bench of the top court had granted bail to Ansari in a separate case registered against him for allegedly using his wife's cellphone during her jail visit, to threaten the witnesses and officials, who were connected to the prosecution against him. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had said the investigation had culminated in a chargesheet.

"Having regard to the fact that the investigation is complete, chargesheet has already been filed and the petitioner has been in custody for more than 1.5 years in the instant case. Keeping in view the fact that the conclusion of trial will take some reasonable time, however, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the petitioner is directed to be released on bail subject to his furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court," the bench said.

Ansari was lodged in Chitrakoot District Jail when his wife along with the driver and co-accused Niyaz visited him and he allegedly used a cellphone to threaten witnesses and extort money.

In the ED case, the high court had dismissed Ansari's bail plea on May 9.

The agency had registered a case against Ansari, a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party MLA, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, on the basis of three previous cases.

Ansari was booked in this case on November 4, 2022.

The Mau MLA is currently lodged in the Kasganj Jail.