Today, 6th May, The Supreme Court postponed the hearing for the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji to May 15. Balaji is seeking bail in connection with a case against him. The delay extends the ongoing legal proceedings involving the former minister. The decision adds to the anticipation surrounding the outcome of his plea.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, On Monday, decided to postpone until May 15th the hearing concerning the petition filed by MLA and former Minister V Senthil Balaji. Balaji’s petition contests the Madras High Court‘s decision to deny him bail in a cash-for-jobs money laundering case.
During Monday’s proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), requested additional time, citing the complexity of the case.
Responding to Mehta’s request, the two-judge bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, agreed to adjourn the case until May 15.
Mehta emphasized that the case involved the coercion of victims, requiring detailed findings to be presented. In response, the Court noted this and scheduled the next hearing for May 15th. Meanwhile, senior advocate Aryama Sundaram, representing Balaji, appealed for bail, citing his client’s nearly year-long detention of 328 days.
Last week, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) accused Balaji of playing a significant and central role in the case.
The ED lawyer emphasized that,
“Senthil Balaji, the accused, played a crucial and central role in the job racket scam between 2014 and 2015, urging the top court’s two-judge bench not to grant him bail.”
It’s significant to note that the Madras High Court mandated that the trial proceed on a day-to-day basis, adhering to guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court.
In the first week of April, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), directing the central investigative agency to submit a detailed response to MLA and former Minister Balaji‘s petition. This petition contested the Madras High Court‘s denial of bail in a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scheme.
On February 28, the Madras High Court rejected Balaji’s bail plea, asserting that releasing him in such a case would convey a detrimental message and run counter to the broader public interest. Despite seeking bail from the Supreme Court, Balaji thus far been unsuccessful in obtaining relief in the case.
Balaji, a former Tamil Nadu minister, arrested on June 14 of the previous year by the ED in connection with a money laundering investigation tied to a cash-for-jobs scandal that occurred during his tenure as Transport minister in an earlier AIADMK government. The ED accused him of involvement in corrupt activities and filed a 1000 page chargesheet against him last year.
On the contrary, Balaji strongly asserts his innocence, asserting that the ED failed to trace any illicit gains to him. He argues that the primary evidence against him stems from information obtained during the initial offense.
Since his arrest, Balaji has faced a challenging legal battle, with multiple bail pleas being dismissed by the courts, reflecting the severity of the charges against him and the ongoing investigation’s intensity.
The courts’ consistent denial of bail highlights the seriousness of the case and the judiciary’s dedication to conducting a thorough and fair investigation.