The Supreme Court granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a high-profile money laundering case connected to the cash-for-jobs scam on Thursday. Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 last year, has been in judicial custody since his arrest.
Earlier this year, on February 28, the Madras High Court had dismissed Balaji’s bail petition in the money laundering case. Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court rejected the former minister’s plea, extending his time in custody.
Despite multiple appeals, Balaji’s bail requests were consistently denied by various courts. His petitions were rejected by a local court on September 20, 2022, and again by the Chennai Sessions Court on January 12, 2023.
The charges against Balaji date back to his tenure as the Transport Minister during the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015, linking him to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. The ECIR registered by the ED is based on three FIRs filed by local police in 2018, highlighting his suspected involvement in the scam. At the time, he served in Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet.
In December 2018, Balaji switched his allegiance to the DMK and later became the Electricity Minister following the party’s victory in the May 2021 state elections.
