Supreme Court seeks response from ED on plea by Satyendar Jain challenging transfer of bail plea to another judge

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea by Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain challenging a transfer of his bail plea in a money laundering case from the judge who was hearing the matter, to another judge. [Satyendar Kumar Jain vs ED]..A bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari issued notice to ED and posted the case for further consideration on October 31."We are only on transfer. We are not concerned with the merits and all. We will issue formal notice," Justice Shah remarked."Issue notice upon the Respondent No.1 (Directorate of 2 Enforcement) only as rest of the respondents are proforma respondents, making it returnable on 31.10.2022. In the meantime, let the Directorate of Enforcement file the counter, to be filed on or before 19.10.2022. Rejoinder, if any, be filed by 21.10.2022" the order reads. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Jain while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented ED..Jain moved the top court challenging a Delhi High Court order which had dismissed his plea.Jain had approached the Delhi High Court challenging an order passed by Principal District and Sessions Court Vinay Kumar Gupta of the Rouse Avenue court allowing ED’s plea for transfer of Jain's case from judge Geejanjali Goel to judge Vikas Dhull.Special Judge Geetanjli Goel had been hearing submissions in Jain’s bail plea and the matter was in its final leg, when the ED sought transfer of the matter alleging bias on the part of the judge.This was allowed by Rouse Avenue court prompting the plea before the High Court.The High Court dismissed Jain's plea on October 1 leading to the current appeal before the top court. .The CBI had initially registered a case against Jain under Sections 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) read with 13(e) (disproportionate assets) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.The case was registered on the allegation that Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons between 2015 and 2017 (check period) which he could not satisfactorily account for.On April 5 this year, the ED, on the basis of its investigation into the money laundering aspect, provisionally attached immovable properties of Jain worth ₹4.81 crore.He was subsequently arrested by the ED..[Read order]