Today, On 29th July, In the ongoing cash-for-jobs case, the Supreme Court strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for allegedly trying to delay the trial against ex-minister Senthil Balaji by naming over 2,000 individuals as accused, calling it an abuse of judicial process.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a strong rebuke to the Tamil Nadu government for designating 2,500 individuals as accused in a cash-for-jobs scandal allegedly linked to former state minister V Senthil Balaji.
The court described this action as a “complete fraud on the judicial system,” indicating it was a calculated effort to delay the trial indefinitely and prevent Balaji from facing full legal repercussions during his lifetime.
A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made these comments while reviewing a petition from a victim of the scam.
Justice Kant said,
“We would like to know that besides the minister, who were the alleged brokers or middlemen? Who were the officers who acted on the recommendations of the minister? Who were the members of the selection committee? Who were the authorities who gave the appointment?”
This petition contested a March 28, 2025, order from the Madras High Court that permitted the consolidation of four separate charge sheets against Balaji into a single trial.
The court raised concerns about the consequences of merging these cases, noting that one involved 2,000 accused, while another included 500, many of whom were individuals who had paid bribes for government jobs that were never granted.
The bench questioned the rationale behind prosecuting the bribe-givers while neglecting to identify and take action against the alleged middlemen, government officials who may have acted under Balaji’s direction, and those responsible for the appointments.
Senior advocates representing the Tamil Nadu government argued that more detailed information was available in a related petition not currently before the bench. In response, the court ordered all related matters to be consolidated and heard together the following day for a thorough review.
Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, contended that the High Court had incorrectly permitted the merger of unrelated charge sheets.
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He emphasized that the acts of corruption were tied to distinct recruitment processes for roles such as assistant engineers, junior tradesmen, conductors, and drivers, which were improperly combined with cases related to junior engineer appointments.
He cautioned that with over 2,000 accused and 750 witnesses, even basic cross-examination could take decades to complete, effectively rendering the legal process futile.
The petition highlighted that the state’s approach seemed aimed at protecting the former minister from trial. The court had previously criticized perceived collusion between Balaji and state agencies and had nullified compromise agreements between the accused and complainants to ensure that the trial could progress.
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In June 2023, V Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) but continued to serve as a minister without portfolio until February 2024. He resigned after the Supreme Court cautioned that he must choose between retaining his ministerial post and his liberty.
In September 2024, he secured bail from the Supreme Court and was briefly reinstated as a minister, only to step down again after the court raised fresh objections. The Supreme Court is now preparing to examine key aspects of the case, including the legality of the clubbing order, the identities and roles of those allegedly involved in the scam, and whether procedural loopholes are hampering justice.