High Court dismisses ex-Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji's bail plea

High Court dismisses ex-Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s bail plea

The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a bail application moved by jailed former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The bail application was dismissed by Justice Anand Venkatesh.

Eight months after he was arrested on June 14, 2023, Senthil Balaji resigned from the state cabinet on February 13.

Senior counsels Aryama Sundaram and A Ramesh, who appeared on behalf of the former state minister, argued that the ED hadn’t collected any major evidence to implicate him.

The bail was sought on several grounds such as lack of credible evidence, conclusion of an investigation by the ED, and Senthil Balaji’s resignation from the cabinet.

However, these arguments were countered extensively by the ED counsels.Â

After dismissing the bail application, Justice Venkatesh directed the trial in the case to be completed within three months.

Senthil Balaji had served as the state Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015 and during this time, he allegedly engaged in a scheme where jobs were offered in exchange for money.

In August 2023, the ED had filed a 3,000-page chargesheet in connection to the case, in which the probe agency said that Senthil Balaji had conspired with transport department officials and his brother to accept money from the job aspirants.