The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the bail petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji to tomorrow. The former Minister has challenged a Madras High Court order denying him bail in a money laundering case over the cash-for-jobs allegations.
The bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan granted the adjournment at the request of the Solicitor General who said that he had to appear before a Special Bench regarding the challenge to the GST Penal Provisions.
Appearing for Senthil Balaji, Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram and Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi requested for an early hearing, mentioning that Balaji has undergone a Bypass surgery, and has been in custody for a long period of time.
Justice AS Oka orally observed that a priority hearing cannot be given to the former Minister merely on the ground that he has been in jail for over 300 days as there have been instances where the accused persons have been incarcerated for years under the PMLA provision and yet are not able to seek immediate relief.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the High Court in its impugned order directed that the trial be completed within 3 months. Despite the said order, Senthil Balaji has moved a discharge petition and judgment has been reserved with respect to that.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Sundaram stressed that the MLA has been in custody for more than 330 days now, and requested that the court may at least consider the question of interim bail.
In the last hearing, the Court scheduled the matter to May 15.
Senthil Balaji was a Minister in Tamil Nadu government’s transport department between 2011-2016. The former minister was accused of having orchestrated, alongwith his personal assistants and brother, collection of money by promising job opportunities in several positions of the Department. Multiple complaints were filed against the accused by candidates who paid money but could not secure employment.
On the grounds of the above allegations, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered an ECIR and arrested Balaji in June, 2023. When the former Minister moved the Madras High Court for bail, relief was denied for lack of merits. Nonetheless, considering that Balaji had been incarcerated for more than 8 months, the High Court directed the Special Court to complete the trial within 3 months.
Disappointed by the denial of bail, Balaji approached the Supreme Court.