The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji was non-cooperative and evasive during the investigation. In the statement issued on August 17, ED said Balaji failed to offer any plausible explanation when confronted with the incriminating evidence against him. The central agency is investigating the money laundering charges against the minister in connection with the cash for jobs scam. Senthil Balaji was arrested on June 14 by ED officials, after nearly 18 hours of raids in his property.
The ED said that it has filed the charge sheet against V Senthil Balaji and the court has taken cognizance of the chargesheet on August 16. Meanwhile, Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom the ED filed their chargesheet, has transferred the case to a special court for MPs and MLAs in Chennai, and the case has been posted for hearing on August 28.
The ED probe against Senthil Balaji in connection with the money laundering investigation was initiated on the basis of three FIR registered against him by the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) in the cash-for-job scam. The ED carried out raids on V Senthil Balaji on June 13 and he was placed under arrest. The agency has alleged that during its investigations and bank statement analysis, it was revealed that there were huge cash deposits in the bank accounts of Senthil Balaji and his wife Meghala. The ED has also reportedly gathered ‘incriminating evidence’ indicating the utilisation of proceeds of crime and establishing a nexus.
Senthil Balaji, who was lodged in Chennai’s Puzhal Prison, was taken into ED custody for five days and according to the central agency, the minister was evasive and did not cooperate with the investigations. On August 7, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji seeking release in the case and granted five-days of custody to the ED till August 12.