Today, On 28th April, The Supreme Court stated, “No occasion to entertain this application,” after being informed that DMK leader V Senthil Balaji’s resignation as Tamil Nadu Minister had been accepted by the Governor, as per a press release.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court was informed on Monday that DMK leader V Senthil Balaji has resigned from his position as a Tamil Nadu minister, and his resignation has been accepted by the Governor.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih reviewed a press release from the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan submitted by the state government.
In the meantime, the Supreme Court declined to accept the Enforcement Directorate’s request to prevent Balaji from holding his position until the trial concludes.
The bench stated,
“A press release is handed over to us which records that he has tendered his resignation which has been accepted by the honourable Governor. Therefore, now there is no occasion to entertain this application,”
On April 23, the apex court had advised Balaji to choose “between post and freedom,” warning him that his bail could be revoked if he did not resign as Tamil Nadu minister.
The court expressed concern over Balaji’s reinstatement as a cabinet minister just days after he was granted bail in a money laundering case linked to the “cash-for-job scam.”
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On September 26, 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to Balaji after he had spent over 15 months in custody, noting that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future.
Balaji, 48, was sworn in as a minister by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on September 29, 2023, and was assigned key portfolios including electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition, and excise, which he held previously in the Stalin cabinet.
Representing the Karur assembly constituency, Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, while serving as the transport minister during the previous AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015.
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The TN Governor, On February 13, 2024, accepted Balaji’s resignation from the council of ministers. The Supreme Court’s decision on September 26, 2024, marked the end of Balaji’s 471-day incarceration.
The Enforcement Directorate had initiated a money laundering case in July 2021, following three FIRs filed by Tamil Nadu police in 2018 based on complaints from individuals affected by the alleged scam.
The chargesheet claimed that the entire recruitment process in the state transport department during his tenure had been transformed into a “corrupt chiefdom.”
Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi represented Balaji.
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