The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has responded to the habeas corpus petition filed by Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s wife Megala and denied that they detained the Minister on June 13 before he was arrested. The affidavit filed by the ED said that the Minister was present when the searches were being carried out at his official residence on June 13.
The Investigating Officer (IO) in the case, Karthik Dasari, said that the Minister was served a summons under Section 50(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the search was completed. The IO alleged that Senthil Balaji refused to receive or sign the summons issued to him. The affidavit said, “He started behaving in an intimidating manner, shouted and yelled at the officer that he is a sitting Minister in the state. He was completely non-cooperative during the summon proceedings.” The IO also said that Senthil Balaji did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him.
The affidavit also said that before Senthil Balaji was arrested, the grounds for his arrest were read out to him but he refused to acknowledge it or sign the arrest memo. Senthil Balaji’s relatives, including his brother Ashok Kumar and sister-in-law Nirmala, were also informed of his arrest.
Senthil Balaji was arrested in the early hours of June 14 from his residence in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam that allegedly happened when he held the transport portfolio during the previous AIADMK regime. The Minister complained of chest pain shortly after the arrest and was taken to the Omandurar Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Kauvery Hospital where he underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery on June 21. The Madras High Court said that the Minister will remain in judicial custody till June 28.