Senthil Balaji Yesterday (May 16th), pleaded to the Supreme Court for interim bail on the ground that he was in custody of the ED for more than 335 days in the cash-for-jobs money laundering case.
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NEW DELHI: In the Supreme Court, senior advocate Aryama Sundaram, representing MLA and former Minister V Senthil Balaji, sought interim bail on the grounds of his extensive custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Balaji has been held for over 335 days in connection with a cash-for-jobs money laundering case.
The Supreme Court session, addressing Balaji’s appeal against the Madras High Court‘s denial of his bail, was adjourned to Thursday for further deliberation. Senior advocates Sundaram and Mukul Rohatgi underscored the urgency of Balaji’s situation, emphasizing his recent bypass surgery and the prolonged period he has spent in custody.
“Thereby he needs bail for this,”
-Sundaram implored the bench.
However, the bench did not issue any immediate orders, scheduling the next hearing for Thursday.
The bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, remarked that prioritizing the hearing solely based on Balaji’s extended jail time was not feasible. They noted that many individuals under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have been incarcerated for years without immediate relief.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, requested an adjournment due to his commitment to a Special Bench concerning GST Penal Provisions. The court granted the adjournment, rescheduling the hearing for the following day.
The ED, investigating Balaji’s alleged involvement in a job racket scam, opposed his bail plea, asserting his central role in the case.
“The accused (Senthil Balaji) played a central and pivotal role in the job racket scam during the period 2014-2015. He should not be granted bail by the top court,”
-the ED lawyer stated.
Previously, the Madras High Court mandated a day-to-day trial in accordance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines. The Supreme Court had earlier, in the first week of April, issued a notice to the ED, requiring a detailed response to Balaji’s petition challenging the High Court’s refusal to grant him bail.
On February 28, the Madras High Court dismissed Balaji’s bail petition, stating that granting bail in such a case would send a wrong message and oppose larger public interest. Following this, Balaji approached the Supreme Court, seeking bail but has not received any relief thus far.
Balaji was arrested by the ED on June 14 last year, linked to a money laundering case related to a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister under the AIADMK regime. The ED has accused him of corruption, presenting a 1000-page chargesheet against him.
Despite the allegations, Balaji has consistently claimed innocence, arguing that the ED has failed to identify the proceeds of crime against him, relying primarily on information from the predicate offense.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Senthil Balaji
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