Supreme Court Grants Conditional Bail to Former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji
The Supreme Court has granted conditional bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of employees in the Transport Department.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted conditional bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of employees in the Transport Department.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih approved the bail application after thoroughly hearing arguments from both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the petitioner. The Supreme Court had reserved its decision on the case on August 12.
The bench considered the delay in commencing the trial as a basis for accepting Balaji’s plea. Earlier, the Madras High Court had denied his bail request on February 28, following which he approached the Supreme Court for relief.
Balaji, a leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, was arrested by the ED on June 14, 2023, in connection with the money laundering case. He is accused of irregularities in the appointment of bus conductors, drivers, and junior engineers in the Tamil Nadu Transport Department, which reportedly took place during his tenure as Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015. The ED has registered a money laundering case regarding these alleged discrepancies.
