A local court in Chennai has remanded Tamil Nadu State Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the cash-for-job scheme, to eight-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for interrogation.
Balaji is currently undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Chennai. He is technically under judicial custody
While rejecting the interim bail petition of the Minister, Principal Judge at City Civil and Sessions Court in Chennai, S. Alli directed the ED to produce Balaji before the court on June 23 via video-conferencing.
The court ruled that Balaji would continue to remain in Kauvery Hospital under medical care and the ED could continue with its custodial interrogation at the hospital itself.
The national agency had arrested the Minister under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Sessions Court refused to grant interim bail to Balaji on the grounds that the Minister was already receiving requisite medical treatment and that given the ‘seriousness’ and ‘gravity’ of the offence allegedly committed by the Minister, a case for grant of interim medical bail was not made in the present case.
Soon after his arrest by ED, Balaji had complained of chest pain and was admitted to a government hospital, where he underwent a coronary angiogram on June 14.
The Sessions Court judge visited the hospital on Wednesday to ascertain the Minister’s health condition and sent him to judicial custody till June 28.
Balaji’s wife S. Megala filed a Habeas Corpus petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, contending that ED had arrested the Minister under PMLA without any prior issuance of summons or notice.
The Division Bench of Justice M. Sundar and Justice R. Sakthivel on June 13 permitted Balaji to shift to Kauvery Hospital for better treatment. The Minister was then admitted to the private hospital on June 15.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate N.R. Elango submitted that while Balaji has no objections to answering the ED’s questions, he will inform the High Court that the Principal Sessions Judge’s order granting custodial interrogation to ED amounted to ‘judicial impropriety’ since the High court had said that Balaji will remain under judicial custody.
Balaji was arrested on Tuesday after the ED initiated questioning in a case registered against him for offences allegedly committed by him during his tenure as the Transport Minister during the government of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazkhagam (AIADMK) from 2011-2015.
The Enforcement Directorate had resumed its probe into the matter after the Supreme Court order of June 16. The Apex Court had reversed the decision of the Madras High Court that guided the police officials of the state to commence fresh investigation in the matter, and permitted ED to continue the ongoing probe.