The Madras Excessive Courtroom on Wednesday dismissed a bail software moved by jailed former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji in a cash laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs rip-off registered towards him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The bail software was dismissed by Justice Anand Venkatesh.
Eight months after he was arrested on June 14, 2023, Senthil Balaji resigned from the state cabinet on February 13.
Senior counsels Aryama Sundaram and A Ramesh, who appeared on behalf of the previous state minister, argued that the ED hadn’t collected any main proof to implicate him.
The bail was sought on a number of grounds resembling lack of credible proof, conclusion of an investigation by the ED, and Senthil Balaji’s resignation from the cupboard.
Nonetheless, these arguments have been countered extensively by the ED counsels.
After dismissing the bail software, Justice Venkatesh directed the trial within the case to be accomplished inside three months.
Senthil Balaji had served because the state Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015 and through this time, he allegedly engaged in a scheme where jobs were offered in exchange for money.
In August 2023, the ED had filed a 3,000-page chargesheet in connection to the case, through which the probe company stated that Senthil Balaji had conspired with transport division officers and his brother to simply accept cash from the job aspirants.
