In the early hours of Wednesday, while being detained by members of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning about an alleged money laundering case, Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji started to cry. The investigating agency took the DMK leader for questioning, after raiding his premises on Tuesday. Soon after this, ED brought Balaji to Omandurar government hospital in Chennai for medical examination amid tight security in the wee hours of Wednesday.
High drama was witnessed outside the hospital as the DMK leader was brought there. He could be seen crying in pain while lying in a car as his supporters gathered there to protest against the ED action.
DMK MP and lawyer NR Elango said that he has been shifted to ICU and ED has officially not confirmed Balaji’s arrest.
“I saw him (Senthil Balaji) when he was shifted to ICU. Doctors are evaluating his health condition. It is a procedure when a person says he has been assaulted the doctor needs to note down all the injuries and will know after seeing the report. Officially we have not been informed (by ED) that he has been arrested,” Elango said.
DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Senthil Balaji is undergoing treatment.”
“We will deal with it legally. We are not afraid of the threatening politics of the BJP-led central government,” he added.
DMK leaders alleged that Balaji complained of chest pain while being taken into custody by the ED officials. They also alleged that Senthil Balaji didn’t seem conscious when he was taken to the hospital by ED.
Meanwhile, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Udhyanithi Stalin, Health Minister M Subramaniyan, Public Works and Highways Minister EV Velu, HR and CE Minister Sekar Babu and various DMK supporters arrived at the hospital to meet Senthil Balaji. The ED detectives conducted raids at Balaji’s Karur home and his office at the state secretariat on Tuesday in relation to an alleged money laundering case. Additionally, the homes of his brother and a trusted assistant in Karur were searched.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government’s Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, and Excise is V Senthil Balaji.