Supreme Court Grants Bail to Ex-TN Minister Senthil Balaji in Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case connected to a cash-for-jobs scam. Balaji, arrested by the ED on June 14 last year, has been in judicial custody since then. His previous bail pleas were dismissed by lower courts.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to the cash-for-jobs scam. Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 of the previous year and has remained in judicial custody since his arrest.

On February 28, the Madras High Court had dismissed Balaji's bail petition in the money laundering case. Justice N Anand Venkatesh of Madras High Court rejected the bail plea of the former minister, who has been in prison since June 2023.

Despite multiple attempts, Balaji's bail petitions were consistently dismissed by various courts, including the local court on September 20 last year and the Chennai Sessions court on January 12 this year. The charges stem from his tenure as transport minister during the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015, linking him to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

The ECIR registered by the ED was based on three FIRs lodged by local police in 2018 for his suspected involvement in the scam while serving as Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa's Cabinet during 2015. Later, he switched allegiance to the DMK in December 2018 and held the position of electricity minister after the party's ascension to power in May 2021.

(With inputs from agencies.)