Supreme Court Upholds Bail for Tamil Nadu Minister in Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court has rejected a plea to review the bail granted to Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam. The bench dismissed the review petition, noting no apparent error in the judgment, and a separate application for recall will be heard in January.

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal seeking a review of the bail order for Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, involved in a money laundering case connected to a cash-for-jobs scam. Justices AS Oka and Augustine George Masih dismissed the request for an open court hearing of the review petition.

The review was aimed at overturning a judgment that granted bail to Balaji on September 26, 2024. The court concluded there were no grounds for a review as it saw no error apparent in the record. A separate application for the recall of the order is in progress, with a hearing scheduled for January 2025.

After Balaji's release on bail, he was appointed as a minister in Tamil Nadu, raising concerns about potential pressure on witnesses. The Supreme Court had remarked on this unexpected political advancement, questioning the implications for witness freedom amid the ongoing legal proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)