In the petition, Balaji contended that his health condition is deteriorating as he had undergone a bypass surgery following the arrest.
Senthil Balaji has been denied bail thrice by the Principal Sessions Court. (Supplied)
The Madras High Court, on Thursday, 19 October, denied bail to Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the charges of laundering the money he received as a bribe by promising government jobs to aspirants in the Transport Department during 2011-2016.
Justice G Jayachandran dismissed the petition filed by Balaji on the grounds of he was not in sound health, accepting the ED’s contention that Balaji is still a powerful minister and would be able to tamper with the evidence and derail the investigation of the case.
Balaji, despite his arrest in July, has been reatined as a minister without portfolio in his Cabinet by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
After the Principal Session Court denied Balaji bail for the second time, the minister, who is currently lodged in the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai, had approached the Madras High Court seeking bail. He contended that his health was deteriorating as he had undergone a bypass surgery following his arrest.
Balaji also argued that though he was given medical care in prison, it was not enough to ensure his wellness. He also submitted medical records provided by the government doctors that stated that he is prone to heart attacks, in case of lack of medical monitoring.
He also pleaded with the court to appoint a government doctor to check his health condition, if the court is not satisfied.
Countering this, the ED pointed out that the medical records produced by the minister only say that Balaji requires conservation medical management, but do not say that such management cannot be obtained in the prison hospital.
The agency also stated that Balaji’s brother V Ashok Kumar is still absconding and Balaji is still being kept as a minister without a portfolio in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet even after his arrest. Hence, he is capable of influencing the case with his power, they alleged.
In September, Balaji’s bail application was dismissed by the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai.
The Session Court had pointed out that the allegations against Balaji were “categorical” and suggested that he had a “definite role” in the commission of the offense charged against him.
The Sessions Court had also observed that Balaji had failed to fulfil the twin conditions under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, for the grant of bail.
Balaji, who was arrested by the ED on 14 June, underwent bypass surgery at the Kaveri Hospital in Chennai following the orders of the Madras High Court.
A month after his surgery, he was shifted to the Puzhal Central Prison where his health was monitored by the prison hospital authorities.
Balaji was served with a 3,000-page charge sheet by the ED, which contended that he continuously and meticulously monitored and executed the job racket scam.
Balaji played a “pivotal and central” role, “exploiting” his official capacity as the transport minister in the then AIADMK regime for personal gains through corrupt and illegal means, the charge sheet claimed.
“The whole recruitment in the Transport Department during the tenure of the then-minister Senthil Balaji has turned into a corrupt chiefdom, in which, as per the illegal directions of the chief (Senthil Balaji), the recruitment process was designed and implemented,” the ED alleged in the charge sheet.
He was denied bail twice by the Principal Sessions Court and his judicial remand was extended eight times since his arrest.
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 17, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
