The Supreme Court granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji on Thursday. The said bail for the ex-TN minister is in connection with a money laundering case related to a cash-for-jobs scam. A bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih reflected on the delays in the trial process.
The Supreme court said, “Bail granted but there are very onerous conditions.” In the order, DMK MP and Advocate N.R. Elango narrated the conditions of the bail. He said, “The SC granted bail to V. Senthil Balaji, who had been incarcerated as an under-trial prisoner in an ED case for over 15 months. The long delays could impact the trials in both the predicate offense and the PMLA case.”
The conditions for his bail are attendance before the ED twice every week, not tampering with the witnesses and impounding of his passport.
Balaji had moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Madras High Court rejecting his bail. He was arrested on June 14, 2023, in connection with the money laundering case related to his tenure as Transport Minister during the AIADMK regime.
ED arrested Balaji based on an ECIR registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2021. The ECIR was based on three FIRs filed against him by local police in 2018. The FIRs accused him of collecting money for jobs in his transport ministry.
These cases relate to his tenure as a minister in the AIADMK government between 2011 and 2015. In December 2018, he joined the DMK. Following the assumption of power by DMK in May this year, he took charge of the Electricity Portfolio.
The case of Balaji draws attention to the fresh and continuing legal battles that politicians in India embark upon, especially about corruption and money laundering. On the other hand, the Supreme Court granting him bail subject to rigid conditions itself denotes the acceptance of delays in the legal process.
While the courts hear further in his bail conditions, the case will go on unfolding. As his case has its ramifications on Tamil Nadu politics and governance, the public and political community will keenly watch his case.
ANI