In a major relief to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court, on Thursday, September 26, granted him bail after nearly 14 months of incarceration. Senthil Balaji was arrested in June 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said that the bail is granted with very “onerous conditions”. Senthil had approached the apex court after the Madras High Court refused to grant him bail.
The bench observed that stringent bail conditions and a delay in trial cannot happen simultaneously. Referring to other judgements, the bench said, “What we have said is that stringent and higher threshold of bail and delay in prosecution cannot go together…. but there are very onerous conditions put in the bail.”
Senthil Balaji was arrested by the ED in June 2023, in a money laundering case in connection with the alleged cash-for-jobs scandal when he held the portfolio as Minister for Transport during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rule between 2011 and 2015.
After he complained of chest pain during the arrest, he was taken to Omandurar government hospital and subsequently allowed to be shifted to Kauvery hospital where he underwent a bypass surgery. Following his treatment, the minister was shifted to the Puzhal central prison. Nine months after his arrest, in February 2024, he resigned from his Ministerial post. Senthil was in charge of the Electricity, Non-conventional Energy, Prohibition and Excise Departments, and was retained as a minister without portfolio by Chief Minister MK Stalin after his arrest.
His bail plea was earlier dismissed twice – in September 2023 and June 2023 by the District Sessions Court and he was also denied bail on medical grounds once each, by the Madras HC and the Supreme Court.
