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We grant bail and you become minister next day!
SC raps Senthil Balaji’s reinstatement as TN minister
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday rapped DMK leader Senthil Balaji for taking oath as the Cabinet minister in the Tamil Nadu government soon after being granted bail in a money laundering case, stating that this will put the witnesses under pressure.
Balaji was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-jobs scam and he was granted bail by the top court in September.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih was hearing a plea seeking to withdraw the order granting bail to the DMK leader on the ground that the witnesses would be under pressure after his reinstatement as a Minister.
“We grant bail and the next day you go and become Minister! Anybody will be bound to be under the impression that now with your position as a senior Cabinet Minister witnesses will be under pressure. What is this going on?” Justice Oka said.
The bench, however, stated that it would not overturn the judgment since it was helping many others. It clarified that it would only focus on whether the witnesses were pressured.
The bench then asked Balaji’s lawyer to seek instructions and scheduled the next hearing for December 13.
“We reiterate the law laid down in the said decision. However, the current application is based on the apprehension that immediately after we enlarged the respondent No 2 (Balaji) on bail by order dated 26 September 2024, the second respondent has been appointed as a Cabinet minister…the apprehension is that considering the seriousness of allegations against the second respondent in the predicate offences, the witnesses may not be in the frame of mind to depose against the second respondent who is holding the position of a Cabinet minister,” the bench observed.
In its September 26 order, the top court granted bail to Balaji while also acknowledging that there is a prima facie case against him. The decision was based on his prolonged detention since June 2023 and the low likelihood of the trial starting anytime soon.
