Published Jul 31, 2026 | 5:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 31, 2026 | 5:53 PM
Former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji.
Synopsis: The Supreme Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in the alleged TASMAC liquor procurement and tender irregularities case, subject to several conditions and directing him to cooperate fully with the investigation. The order came a day after the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption conducted searches at 45 locations after registering a corruption case against Balaji, his close associates and TASMAC officials.
The Supreme Court on Friday, 31 July, granted interim anticipatory bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with the alleged Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor procurement and tender irregularities case.
The court directed him to cooperate fully with the investigation and warned that any violation of its conditions could result in cancellation of the relief.
The relief comes a day after the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) carried out simultaneous searches at 45 locations across the state after registering a corruption case against former Electricity, Prohibition and Excise Minister V Senthil Balaji, his close associates and officials of TASMAC.
The appeal came up before a Bench initially comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
At the outset, Justice V Mohana recused herself from hearing the matter, stating that she had earlier appeared as a lawyer in a case involving Senthil Balaji and that it would therefore not be appropriate for her to hear the present proceedings as a judge.
The matter was then heard by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
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Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar argued that the case involved alleged corruption running into several hundred crores of rupees and that there was prima facie material to support the investigation. He submitted that custodial interrogation, if required, would be considered only if the ongoing investigation necessitated it.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Senthil Balaji, argued that preliminary inquiries into the allegations had already been conducted between 2021 and 2025. He contended that the present proceedings had been initiated only after the change in government and were politically motivated.
The Tamil Nadu government argued that Senthil Balaji himself had served as the Minister during the 2021–2025 period and that the registration of the case had been prevented while he was in office. It therefore submitted that the present investigation could not be treated as a reopening of a concluded matter.
After hearing both sides, the Supreme Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Senthil Balaji and directed that he should not be arrested in the meantime. The court also issued notice to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), seeking its response to the appeal.
The Bench imposed several conditions while granting relief. It directed Senthil Balaji to surrender his passport, refrain from influencing witnesses, and cooperate fully with the investigating agency.
During the hearing, the judges observed that appropriate safeguards would be put in place to ensure that he did not interfere with the investigation and asked the State what more it required once those safeguards were in place.
The State maintained that Senthil Balaji might delay or avoid cooperating with investigators. In response, the Bench said it would ensure his cooperation with the investigation and clarified that, if the investigating agency required any further directions during the probe, it would be at liberty to move the Supreme Court.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal assured the court that Senthil Balaji would fully cooperate with the investigation and would not abscond. He also informed the Bench that his client’s passport had already been surrendered, leaving no possibility of his travelling abroad.
The Supreme Court made it clear that if Senthil Balaji violated any of the conditions or directions imposed by the court, his interim anticipatory bail would be liable to be cancelled.
The Bench further granted liberty to the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to approach the Supreme Court for appropriate relief or directions if any issue arose during the course of the investigation.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
