Supreme Court Questions Prompt Re-appointment of Senthil Balaji in Tamil Nadu Cabinet

New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern regarding the swift re-appointment of senior DMK leader V. Senthil Balaji in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin after he was granted bail in relation to a money laundering case associated with a purported cash-for-jobs scandal.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih was reviewing a request to reconsider its prior ruling that had granted bail to Balaji, citing the potential risk that he might influence witnesses due to his role as a minister in the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin-led Cabinet.

"We grant bail, and the very next day you become a minister! Anyone would reasonably suspect that witnesses might feel pressured," the bench commented.

The court instructed Balaji’s lawyer to obtain clarification on the matter of witness influence during the trial of related offenses, while emphasizing that the decision made on September 26 regarding bail was not subject to reconsideration on its merits.

Balaji, who was released from incarceration after spending over 450 days in jail, was sworn in as a minister on September 29, taking charge of the portfolios for Electricity, Excise, and Prohibition in the Tamil Nadu administration.

Previously serving as the Minister of Transport from 2011 to 2015 in the AIADMK government, he was re-elected as an MLA for the Aruvarakurichi constituency in 2016.

Following the split in the AIADMK, he departed from the party and joined the DMK on December 14, 2018, ascending to the position of DMK district secretary. He contested by-elections in Aruvakurichi in 2019 and subsequently in the 2021 Assembly elections, becoming a minister for Electricity and Excise in the Stalin-led cabinet.

On June 14, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at Senthil Balaji's residence and other locations in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore, interrogating him about a job-for-cash scheme during his tenure as Transport Minister under the AIADMK government.

Following extensive questioning, Balaji was arrested and placed in judicial custody.

After experiencing chest pain, medical examinations revealed he had three blockages in his coronary artery. He underwent an angioplasty at a private hospital, remained there for several days, and was then returned to Puzhal Central Prison.

Despite significant calls for his removal from the ministry, Chief Minister Stalin resisted the pressure.

Nonetheless, there were strong demands for his resignation, which Balaji eventually submitted on February 12, 2024, eight months post-arrest and prior to his bail plea hearing in the Madras High Court.

Following the Supreme Court's decision to grant him bail, Balaji exited Puzhal Central Prison and was reinstated in the Stalin-led cabinet.