News Brief
Former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's Bail Plea Dismissed By Madras High Court: Here's All About It
V Senthil Balaji.
The Madras High Court has rejected the bail application of former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year in connection with a money laundering case.
Presiding over the case, Justice N Anand Venkatesh mentioned that Senthil Balaji had spent nearly eight months in custody.
As reported by Bar and Bench, the judge directed the special court to expedite the trial on a "day-to-day basis" with the aim of completing it within three months.
Despite the plea, the bail application was deemed devoid of merit, prompting the judge to advise the former minister to pursue his case directly in the special court for trial.
Senior Advocate C Aryama Sundaram, representing Senthil Balaji, argued before the court that the ED had already concluded its investigation, possessing all necessary documents and evidence.
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As a result, Balaji's continued custody was deemed unnecessary.
However, Special Public Prosecutor N Ramesh opposed the bail application, leading to its dismissal by the court.
Senthil Balaji was arrested on 14 June, following interrogation by the ED in connection with a money laundering case dating back to his tenure as transport minister for the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015.
However, this is not the first time Balaji's bail plea has been rejected; his previous attempts, including a medical bail plea, was turned down by both lower courts and the High Court.
Earlier, Minister V Senthil Balaji had tendered his resignation from the state cabinet on Monday (12 February), nearly eight months after his arrest in connection with a money laundering case.
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