Former TN Minister V Senthil Balaji Faces Money Laundering Charges

The sessions court has framed charges against former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case under the PMLA. Arrested last year by the ED, Balaji pleaded not guilty. The prosecution accuses him of generating and knowingly collecting proceeds of crime.

A sessions court on Thursday framed charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year.

Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, in the presence of prison authorities, read out the charges linked to an alleged job recruitment scam during Balaji's tenure as Transport Minister in an earlier AIADMK regime. The charges also included claims of cash-for-job transactions, bank deposits, and property acquisitions.

Balaji pleaded not guilty to the charges, attributing them to political vendetta. Despite denying the allegations, the court extended his remand until August 16 and summoned three witnesses for examination. Multiple bail applications filed by Balaji have previously been dismissed by the courts.

(With inputs from agencies.)