New Delhi, Sep 21 (Bureau) The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Principal Districts and Sessions Judge here to decide on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea seeking transfer of its case against jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain to another judge on Thursday. A Supreme Court bench headed by D Y Chadrachud passed the order after hearing from noted lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jain, that this is a tactics by the Enforcement Directorate to delay the hearing of the bail plea in the case. “We direct the Principal Districts and Sessions judge (Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi) to take up and decide tomorrow itself the ED plea for transferring the money laundering case against Satyendar Jain to a new trial judge,” the Supreme Court said.
The court said it would be open for both parties to appeal against it if they are aggrieved by it. “This is a tactics by the ED to delay hearing of bail plea in the case in which ECIR was registered in 2017 and the arrest effected in 2022,” Sibal argued and sought appropriate direction.Additional Solicitor General S V Raju refuted the allegations and said that the transfer petition was moved with reasons. Jain complained against the long date given by the trial court for deciding a CBI plea to transfer the case from the CBI special judge during the middle of Jain’s bail plea hearing.