Today, On 20th August, The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its decision today on Senthil Balaji’s bail plea. Balaji, a prominent political figure, has been seeking bail amid ongoing legal proceedings.
New Delhi: A crucial ruling on the bail plea of former minister Senthil Balaji anticipated today, with considerable focus on the arguments presented in the case so far. After being postponed last week, the Supreme Court is expected to deliver the ruling today.
The bench, led by Justice Abhay S. Oka, will hear Senthil Balaji’s petition.
Senthil Balaji, who arrested on June 14 of the previous year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, had a 3,000-page chargesheet filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August last year. This chargesheet subsequently provided to him.
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Balaji approached the Supreme Court seeking bail. Given that he has since resigned from his ministerial position, there is speculation that he might be granted bail. A few days ago, the Supreme Court, under the leadership of Justice Abhay S. Oka, conducted a hearing on his bail plea. The ruling expected today.
Initially, the Enforcement Directorate criticized for delaying the submission of documents. For instance, during a hearing on May 6, Balaji’s legal team accused the ED of intentionally delaying the case, with the ED only filing its response on the day of the hearing.
In its response, the ED argued against granting bail to Senthil Balaji, citing his influence as an MLA despite his resignation as a minister, and the risk of him tampering with evidence. The ED also noted that Balaji did not fully cooperate during the investigation.
In rebuttal, Balaji’s defence highlighted that he has been in jail for over 320 days, and accused the ED of submitting its response at the last minute to intentionally delay the proceedings.
The ED later apologized for the delay, insisting it was not intentional. The Supreme Court then postponed the hearing to May 15 to allow time for reviewing the response, resulting in the case being delayed further.
Balaji’s defense also argued for interim bail on medical grounds, citing his poor health.
However, the ED opposed this, arguing that interim bail on medical grounds had already been rejected by the court, and that granting it could lead to tampering with evidence.
The Supreme Court noted that many prisoners have been held without bail for 2-3 years and stated that an immediate decision on interim bail not feasible, scheduling the case for further hearing the next day.
The decision on Balaji’s bail postponed once again. Discussions yesterday explored whether the ruling in the bail case of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia would be applicable. In Sisodia’s case, bail was granted largely due to the lengthy duration of his imprisonment, but the ED argued that this does not apply to Balaji. Legal experts suggest that the ED is adopting a new strategy in this case, and the arguments related to Sisodia could influence the outcome.
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The Supreme Court then inquired about the expected duration to conclude Balaji’s case. The ED suggested it could take six months if a neutral government lawyer is appointed by the Supreme Court, indicating a plan to replace the current government lawyer.
It appears the ED is planning to replace the Tamil Nadu government’s lawyer with someone from North India, to be appointed by the central government in Delhi. Balaji’s legal team argued that a decision on bail should precede any discussion on appointing a new government lawyer.
The ED requested the Supreme Court to appoint a government lawyer from outside Tamil Nadu, arguing that a lawyer from Tamil Nadu would not be able to effectively argue against Balaji. Justice A.S. Oka’s bench heard the case yesterday and deferred the bail decision to today.
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