Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar has accorded sanction to allow the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to prosecute former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam case.
Tamil Nadu government sources confirmed to TNM that the file seeking the Governor’s nod to prosecute Senthil Balaji was cleared by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay last week and sent for the Governor’s approval. Since Senthil Balaji had been a minister, it was mandatory to obtain the Governor’s approval, as he is the sanctioning authority.
The alleged Transport Department cash-for-jobs scam first surfaced in 2015 when a man named Devasahayam S approached the Chennai Police, alleging that intermediaries had demanded Rs 2.6 lakh to secure a job for his son in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). According to the complaint, the promised appointment never materialised and the money was not returned.
The Central Crime Branch subsequently registered an FIR against several individuals accused of collecting money from job aspirants by promising employment as drivers, conductors, and mechanics in state transport corporations. One complainant claimed that Rs 2.31 crore had been handed over to Senthil Balaji, who was the then Transport Minister, in the presence of his brother Ashok Kumar and brother-in-law Karthik.
The Madras High Court directed a fresh probe and the CCB filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2021 naming Senthil Balaji, Ashok Kumar, Karthik, and several Transport Department officials. The chargesheet alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, including manipulation of appointments and interview marks.
The case formed the basis of the ED’s money laundering investigation, which led to Senthil Balaji’s arrest in June 2023, by when he was part of the DMK. The ED had filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before a special court in Chennai.
In its complaint against the DMK leader, the ED alleged that he had indulged in money laundering after collecting cash from job aspirants in the Transport Department during his tenure as a minister in the AIADMK government between 2011 and 2016.
Sources told TNM that the ED had approached the Tamil Nadu government seeking sanction to prosecute Senthil Balaji. “The ED had routed its plea through the Governor’s office in May 2025 and it was forwarded to the Chief Secretary’s office in September 2025,” a source said.
The then Chief Secretary returned the file to the Governor’s office in October 2025, stating that the prosecuting agency should approach the government directly and not through the Governor’s office.
In February 2026, the Governor’s office wrote to the ED asking it to approach the government directly. On May 15, 2026, the ED formally approached the Tamil Nadu government through the Chief Secretary’s office seeking permission to prosecute Senthil Balaji. The agency attached relevant documents along with a confidential note detailing the case. By this time, a new government under the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by Vijay had taken over reins in the state.
According to sources, CM Vijay cleared the ED file, following which it was sent to the Governor’s office for approval.