New Delhi, Dec 8 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has granted a plea from former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, seeking to ease the strict bail conditions previously set in the money laundering case tied to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant modified the requirement for Balaji to present himself before the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Chennai every Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon.

Stating that Balaji's continued bi-weekly appearances were unnecessary at this point, the bench, which included Justice Joymalya Bagchi, remarked: "The appellant (Balaji) shall appear before the Deputy Director as and when required. Advance notice should be given if his presence is needed."

The apex court also eased another stipulation mandating that Balaji remain "regularly and punctually" present at all courts handling the scheduled offences.

"Should there be specific hardships preventing the appellant from appearing before the sessions court, he may apply, and the court will consider it on its own merits," clarified the CJI Surya Kant-led Bench.

On November 14, the Supreme Court requested the ED’s response to Balaji’s plea for relaxing these conditions, after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Narendra Hooda, representing Balaji, asserted that the conditions had exceeded their purpose since the investigation was concluded and the charge sheet submitted.

"My client has appeared before the ED on 116 occasions. There is no fear of him absconding," Sibal argued.

Opposing the request, the ED maintained that the bench led by then Justice Abhay S Oka, which granted Balaji bail, was fully aware of the nature of the imposed conditions.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court cautioned Balaji - who was reappointed into Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's Cabinet after being released on bail - that he could not serve as a minister while under allegations of influencing witnesses.

"[We] are presenting him with a choice. Freedom or post?" the Justice Oka-led Bench had stated, highlighting prior findings of his attempts to negotiate with witnesses while in office.

Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi accepted Balaji's resignation on Chief Minister Stalin's recommendation. Balaji was arrested by the ED in June 2023 following extensive searches in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore, spending 450 days in custody before obtaining bail.