Supreme Court adjourns hearing on V Senthil Balaji's Bail Plea
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji until May 6. Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year in connection with a money laundering case, sought bail during the hearing before a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. The adjournment came after a lawyer representing the ED requested a postponement, citing the unavailability of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The ED lawyer informed the bench that they had submitted their response to the plea.
Senior advocate Aryama Sundaram, representing Balaji, urged the bench to hear the matter, highlighting that Balaji had been in custody for 320 days. However, the bench stated that they had not yet reviewed the ED’s response and scheduled the next hearing for May 6.
Earlier, on April 1, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the ED regarding Balaji’s bail plea, issuing a notice to the agency.
The Madras High Court had previously dismissed Balaji’s bail petition on February 28, asserting that granting bail in such a case would send the wrong signal and be against the larger public interest. The high court recommended that the trial be expedited, emphasizing that the petitioner had already spent over eight months in incarceration. It directed the special court to expedite the proceedings in accordance with guidelines provided by the Supreme Court.
Balaji was arrested on June 14 last year in connection with a money laundering case related to a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as transport minister in a previous AIADMK government. The ED filed a 3,000-page charge sheet against him on August 12. Despite several attempts, Balaji’s previous bail pleas were rejected by both the high court and a local court.
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