Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a cash-for-job scam on Wednesday, June 14, has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody by a sessions court. Principal Judge S Alli was hearing a remand application moved by the ED when she passed the order. She had also visited the government hospital where the Minister for Electricilty, Prohibition and Excise was admitted before passing the order. However, the Minister will be allowed to remain in hospital and continue to undergo treatment, the court ruled.
Senthil Balaji was arrested by ED in a money-laundering case in the early hours of Wednesday. Soon after his arrest, amid high drama, he was admitted to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai’s Omandurar Government Estate with complaints of chest pain. After conducting some tests, the hospital said that the Minister requires a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), a heart bypass surgery, “at the earliest”. Meanwhile, Senthil’s family moved the Madras High Court with a habeas corpus petition. However, the case was not heard as one of the judges, Justice R Sakthivel, recused himself from the hearing.
Senthil Balaji’s arrest comes days after the ED conducted raids on his premises in Chennai and Coimbatore. The ED also conducted searches in his office at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat and other places on June 13, just before his arrest. Raids were also carried out at the premises of properties owned by Senthil Balaji’s brother Ashok Kumar in Karur.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin alleged that the ED has harassed Senthil Balaji despite his assurances of cooperating with them. The Chief Minister said, “In the name of investigation, it seems that Senthil Balaji was being harassed mentally and physically. They have given stress to the extent of him developing chest pain.” Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also alleged that harassment by ED caused Senthil Balaji’s health to deteriorate.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) demanded that Senthil Balaji must resign from the cabinet on “moral grounds”. Speaking about the case to the media, EPS said that the ED was merely doing its duty in a case that had been filed against Senthil Balaji several years ago.
The transport cash for job scam came to light in 2015 when a man named Devasahayam S filed a complaint with the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Chennai. It was alleged that several crore rupees in bribes were collected from candidates seeking jobs as conductors, drivers, and mechanics in the state-run Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).
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