The Madras High Court on Friday granted conditional anticipatory bail to former Tamil Nadu and present DMK MLA Senthil Balaji in a job racket case registered by police.
Justice PD Audikesavalu, who granted anticipatory bail to Balaji and his brother, directed them to immediately surrender their passports and execute a bond for Rs 50,000 each, along with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the Magistrate concerned.
The issue pertains to a complaint lodged against the former minister with the CCB alleging that when he served as transport minister, he allegedly cheated people to the tune of Rs 2.31 crore along with his associates while promising jobs in the state transport corporation.
In connection with the complaint, CCB conducted raids on the residence and other premises of Balaji.
On Wednesday, when the court commenced its proceedings, counsel Saravanan made a mention before Justice Audikesavalu that police are taking coercive steps by affixing a search notice on his residence and directing him to appear before the investigating officer on February 6, and to open the lock of his Chennai residence. The court had ordered not to take any coercive steps against him, and police were not obeying the direction, he said.
Opposing this, public prosecutor A Natarajan submitted that CCB has obtained the appropriate order from the jurisdictional magistrate to conduct the search.
This search is a part of the investigation and the police had informed in the notice that either Balaji or his authorised representative can be present during the search procedure. Therefore, there is no coercive step, Natarajan said.
Recording this, the court refused any relief to the petitioner.
On Friday, when the matter came up for hearing, state Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent produced a copy of the summons issued to the petitioners for their appearance in terms of Section 41-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the counsel for the petitioner acknowledged the receipt of the copy of the summons.
The judge who recorded this granted anticipatory bail to both and directed them to appear before the investigating officers on the date and time whenever required, until further orders.