Supreme Court issues notice to ED on ex-TN Minister Senthil Balaji’s bail plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a bail plea filed by DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, who was arrested in June last year in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

Agreeing to examine Senthil Balaji’s special leave petition, a bench presided over by Justice Abhay S. Oka sought the response of the anti-money laundering agency within a period of four weeks.

However, the Bench, also comprising Ujjal Bhuyan, declined to pass any interim order staying the February 28 order of the Madras High Court, which had dismissed Balaji’s bail petition.

In its order, a bench of Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court observed that even if Balaji had resigned from his position as a Minister, he continues as an MLA belonging to the ruling party in Tamil Nadu and continues to wield a lot of influence on the state government.

However, Justice Venkatesh asked the trial court to complete the trial within three months by conducting the proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

Balaji was arrested by the ED in June last year, and remains in judicial custody since then.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Balaji’s plea seeking bail on medical condition remarking that it was not satisfied with his illness and his medical condition could be cured with medicines.