Big blow to Senthil Balaji as Madras HC dismisses his bail plea

The Madras High Court on Wednesday declined the bail petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who had been apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year in connection with a money laundering case.
This marked the second occasion in four months where the DMK leader’s plea for relief was turned down by the HC. A bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh stated that given the petitioner (accused) had been in custody for approximately 8 months, the Special Court, overseeing Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, was directed to conduct the trial, preferably on a day-to-day basis, and to conclude it within three months.
The minister was apprehended on June 14, 2023, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding alleged irregularities in the selection of bus conductors, drivers, and junior engineers within the Tamil Nadu Transport Department, during Balaji’s tenure as the Transport-Minister in the AIADMK government between 2011 and 2015. Following this, Balaji aligned with the DMK in 2018.
On August 12, the ED submitted a charge-sheet, spanning 3,000 pages, against Balaji. The Madras High Court had previously dismissed Balaji’s bail plea on October 19, 2023. Additionally, his bail petitions have been dismissed thrice by a local court in Chennai.