V. Senthil Balaji has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of tampering with digital evidence related to a money laundering case against him. He made these allegations during a bail application hearing at the Madras High Court, held one day after his resignation from the cabinet post he retained even after his arrest six months ago.
Chennai: V Senthil Balaji a former Tamil Nadu Transport minister has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of tampering with digital evidence linked to a money laundering case against him. He made these claims during a bail application hearing at the Madras High Court on Wednesday, following his resignation from the cabinet post he had held even after his arrest six months ago.
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When court proceedings can be conducted through video call, can they not be conducted on a phone call too. Why not?
said, Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court
Latter, he spoke to Senior Counsel C. Aryama Sundaram on the phone when it became inaudible during the hybrid hearing of former Minister V. Senthil Balaji.
Representing Balaji, Senior Counsel C Aryama Sundaram urged Justice N Anand Venkatesh to grant bail, highlighting concerns about the credibility of digital evidence, including hard disks and pen drives. Sundaram pointed out discrepancies in the evidence, such as data being transferred from an HP-branded hard disk listed in the seizure report to a Seagate hard disk presented in court, raising doubts about the authenticity of the seized items.
“The brand of digital evidence such as pen drive and hard disk recorded in the seizure mahazar and the ones produced in the court are entirely different,” Sundaram said, emphasising the inconsistency and potential manipulation of evidence.
Sundaram argued that the ED had fabricated the evidence and alleged that files on the pen drive and hard disks were created in 2015 but modified in 2022. Initially reported to contain 284 files/folders, the pen drive’s contents were later modified to 472, with forensic analysis revealing deleted files and new additions post-seizure. Sundaram contended that all evidence reliant on digital evidence must be considered suspect.
Advocating for bail, Sundaram stated that with the investigation concluded and V. Senthil Balaji no longer serving as a minister, there was no basis for the prosecution’s claim that he might influence witnesses.
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Justice Venkatesh adjourned the hearing, scheduling the ED to present its counterarguments.
The case against Balaji, who served as transport minister from 2011 to 2015, arises from the ED’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, based on multiple cases filed by the state police regarding an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. Since his arrest in June 2023, his bail pleas have been repeatedly denied.
CASE TITLE: V.SENTHIL BALAJI VS DEPUTY DIRECTOR
