Chennai, Oct 22 (UNI) The Principal Sessions Court has extended till
November six, the judicial remand of Tamil Nadu Minister V.Senthilbalaji,
who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection
with a money laundering.
Principal Sessions Judge Ms.S.Alli extended the remand after the Minister
without portfolio was produced before her via video conferencing from Puzhal
Central prison.
This was for the ninth time the Minister’s judicial custody was extended since
his arrested on June 14 in connect9on with cash for jobs scam during his
tenure as the Transport Minister during the 2011-16 AIADMK regime.
Later, he had quit the AIADMK and joined the DMK.
The PSJ court has twice dismissed his bail plea and subsequently the
Madras High Court too refused bail on medical grounds after the ED
opposed it citing that he was still a Minister and could tamper with the
evidence and witnesses.
The ED, which had filed a 3,000 page chargesheet against Mr Semthilbalaji
and also submitted evidences, opposed bail to him also on the ground that
the Minister’s brother V.Ashok Kumar was yet to be arrested and he has not
appeared before the investigating agency for questioning despite issuance
of summons.
Afer his arrest, Mr Senthilbalaji underwent a bypass surgery on the orders
of the Madras High Court following a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife.
After she moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the ED, the
Minister was ent to ED custody for five days in August for interrogation.
After the ED submitted the chargesheet, the PSJ court transferred the case
to Special Court trying cases ahainst MPs and MLAs before it was transferred
back to the PSJ Court by the Madras High Court on a petition filed by the
Minister seeking clarification as to which of the two courts–PSJ Court or
the Special Court–could hear his bail after both the courts had earlier refused
to hear them.
