Targeted Because of Political Reasons: Arvind Kejriwal on Satyendar Jain Arrest

This is Arvind Kejriwal's first comment after Satyendar Jain's arrest on Monday evening

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday, 23 June.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

A day after Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged hawala transactions linked to a Kolkata-based company, CM Arvind Kejriwal called the case a fraud and said Jain has been targeted because of political reasons.

"We neither tolerate corruption nor we do corruption. We have a very honest government. He has been targeted because of political reasons," Aam Aadmi Party Convener Kejriwal said.

We have faith in our judiciary, Kejriwal added.

This is Kejriwal's first comment after Jain's arrest on Monday evening. In January this year, he claimed that Jain could be arrested by the ED ahead of the Punjab elections.

Arrested on Monday, to Be Produced in Court Today

The AAP leader was placed under arrest by the ED on Monday evening.

Jain will be produced before Special CBI Judge Geetanjali Goel in Rouse Avenue Court in the national capital on Tuesday around 2 pm. The central probe agency is likely to seek his custodial remand to confront him with some documents and statements, reported IANS.

The ED had attached the properties of Jain's relatives' worth Rs 4.81 crore in April this year.

The ED initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), against Jain and others under Section 109 of IPC – read with sections 13(2) and 13(1) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took to Twitter on Monday to claim that the case was "fake" and that Jain was being targeted "as he is the election-in-charge for Himachal Pradesh."

Rajya Sabha MP and AAP leader Sanjay Singh also called the case "fake and baseless" and held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for the arrest.

He added, "The CBI had given a clean chit to him. The BJP could not fathom that Jain was made Himachal Pradesh in-charge, so they hatched this fake arrest."

“This case highlights the misuse of probe agencies. Soon he will be out as it’s a baseless case," he said.