NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the court hearing the bail plea of arrested minister Satyendar Jain to ignore for the time being any medical report on his condition furnished by the state government-run Lok Nayak Hospital.
Justice Jasmeet Singh also sought a response from Jain on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he be medically examined at an “independent” hospital such as AIIMS, RML or Safdarjung instead of LNJP where he is admitted.
“In case he (trial court judge) wants to grant bail on some other ground, that’s up to him,” Justice Singh remarked while hearing ED’s plea, which has contended that there is a grave likelihood that Jain, as the former Delhi health minister, still exercises “influence over LNJP” and stresses on the need for an independent evaluation of his health before his plea for release on the ground of ill health was considered by the trial court.
“Till today, (it has been) 46 days. He is admitted to LNJP and has spent not a single day in jail. Before that, he was in the jail dispensary for 20 days,” said the additional solicitor general representing ED. He also referred to a recent decision of Calcutta High Court directing that an arrested West Bengal minister be examined by AIIMS in Odisha.
Jain, now a minister without any portfolio in the AAP government, was arrested on May 30 under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. ED has challenged a trial court’s July 6 order rejecting its prayer to get the accused medically evaluated by an independent hospital.
