On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India declined to consider DMK minister V Senthil Balaji request for bail. The Enforcement Directorate detained DMK minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with a money laundering case. He was requesting the bail because to health concerns.
The Madras High Court had denied his request for bail on October 19, citing his potential to influence witnesses if granted further time. An appeal against that decision was being heard by the highest court.
Balaji was given permission to visit the trial court to request regular bail after the justices Bela M. Trivedi and SC Sharma, who sit on the apex court, reviewed the health data and concluded that there was nothing seriously wrong with him.
“Any observation made in the interim order against the petitioner on merits shall not come in the way of the petitioner in filing regular bail application,” the court stated.
Balaji was previously ordered by the highest court to record his medical records. The high court dismissed the bail application, stating that Balaji’s health assessment did not seem to indicate a medical condition that could only be treated if he was freed on bail.
The 47-year-old DMK lawmaker is being held at Chennai’s Puzhal Central Jail after being taken into custody by the ED on June 14.
Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the ED on June 14 in connection with a money laundering probe into a purported cash-for-jobs scheme during his time as the transport minister in the previous AIADMK government, is still a minister in the Tamil Nadu government headed by Chief Minister M K Stalin, but he does not have a designated portfolio.
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In order to assist with the investigation, the federal agency had also called in Senthil Balaji’s brother RV Ashok Balaji, his wife Nirmala, and mother-in-law P Lakshmi. Additionally, V Senthil Balaji made other remarks that were recorded and included in the chargesheet.
