New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday approved the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji. The case is related to his arrest in June 2023 on charges of money laundering.
The court has taken this decision in view of the delay in hearing the charges against him.
What happened in the hearing?
The court bench, which comprised Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, said, “We have granted bail with certain strict conditions.” During the hearing, the bench asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if the trial against Balaji was likely to begin soon.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra appeared on behalf of Balaji. Meanwhile, ED was represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and special counsel Zoheb Hussain.
Balaji had applied for bail in the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court rejected his bail plea on February 28.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Balaji was arrested by the ED on June 14, 2023. He is accused of irregularities in the appointments of bus conductors, drivers and junior engineers in the Tamil Nadu Transport Department. These allegations are during his tenure as Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015.
Balaji’s bail plea was rejected thrice by the Chennai Sessions Court. Apart from this, his medical bail plea was also rejected by the High Court in October last year, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
After the Supreme Court’s decision to grant him bail, Balaji is now at liberty with some strict conditions. This case could be a turning point in Tamil Nadu politics, and it remains to be seen how it impacts his political career. Also, it is important to see how the ED takes further action in this case.