Former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji Granted Bail After 471 Days in Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji after over 15 months of incarceration in a money laundering case. Arrested in June 2023, Balaji was welcomed by DMK supporters upon his release. The court imposed stringent bail conditions to prevent interference with witnesses.

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case after over 15 months of imprisonment. This ruling comes as a relief to the DMK leader, ending his 471-day incarceration.

Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14, 2023, in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport minister under an earlier AIADMK regime, vowed to legally challenge the 'false case' which he claims was driven by 'political vendetta.'

As Balaji exited prison, he was greeted by a large crowd of DMK supporters, who showered him with flower petals and raised slogans in his favor. The Supreme Court noted that Balaji's continued detention infringed on his fundamental rights and acknowledged the unlikely completion of trial within a reasonable time frame, leading to his release with stringent bail conditions to prevent witness tampering.

(With inputs from agencies.)