Tamil Nadu Government Has Nowhere To Hide As Judicial Scrutiny Intensifies In Different Cases 

Just a few weeks back, the Tamil Nadu government and its lackeys were going to town over the Supreme Court verdict on Governor withholding assent to various Bills. Almost all their cells, sleeping and active, were tapped, as the news was given an extra spin and splashed all around.

But today, all those cells have gone silent.

Not a squeak from any of them even as the Courts — the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court --- turned the heat on the Tamil Nadu government over a multitude of issues, including the most burning Tasmac case issue.

The Ministers under fire are the discredited Senthil Balaji in the Tasmac scandal and cash-for-jobs controversy, Ponmudy in one of the worst and grossest speeches that modern India has been witness to and the eternally troublesome Durai Murugan in two different disproportionate assets cases.

The Tasmac case, purely from a governance point of view seems most potent as the rumour mills have it that some big names, even bigger than Senthil Balaji are involved and hence the Tamil Nadu government is moving heaven and hell to get the case stopped, despite repeated snubs from whichever judicial door it is knocking.

The gossip has it that some from the most powerful political family may be summoned by the ED shortly. The Madras High Court has outright dismissed petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu government and Tasmac officials challenging the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) search and seizure operations.

For those uninitiated in the developments, the ED conducted raids at Tasmac's headquarters in Chennai from March 6 to March 8, 2025, as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and corruption. The raids were based on multiple FIRs filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) between 2017 and 2024, which accused Tasmac officials of bribery, tender manipulation, and overpricing liquor bottles, leading to financial irregularities amounting to over Rs 1,000 crore.

Will the ED summon those from TN’s most powerful family?

It is an open secret that Tasmac operations are the cash cow, both legal and illegal, for the state government and those running it. Following the raids, the TN government even knocked on the SC doors, arguing that the raids were not right. The SC did not pay any heed to it and sent it back to the Madras HC. And on April 23, 2025, the HC upheld the legality of the ED's actions, dismissing claims that the raids were politically motivated or violated federal principles.

The court emphasised that procedural inconveniences must yield to economic justice and allowed the ED to continue its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED, it is alleged, uncovered evidence of manipulated tender processes, inflated liquor prices, and unaccounted cash transactions involving distilleries and bottling companies. These findings pointed to a well-organised scheme of financial fraud and illicit payments. Now, the ED has issued fresh summons to senior Tasmac officials, including Managing Director S Visakan (IAS), General Managers S Sangeetha and T Ramaduraimurugan, and Deputy General Manager Jothi Shankar. These officials are expected to appear for questioning within seven days.

The noose seems tightening, with the ED preparing a detailed questionnaire and planning to forensically analyse electronic devices seized during the raids. This case has not only legal but also political ramifications, as it puts the spotlight on governance and accountability in Tamil Nadu. 

SC in no doubt: Senthil Balaji should quit

Elsewhere in the Supreme Court, the Minister under whom the Tasmac operates, Senthil Balaji, faced further onslaught, but in a different case.

Senthil Balaji is accused in a money laundering case tied to the 'cash-for-jobs' scam during his tenure as Transport Minister from 2011 to 2016 in the previous AIADMK government. Allegations include accepting bribes for appointments in the state transport department, such as drivers and conductors. The ED arrested him in June 2023 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Supreme Court granted bail to Balaji in September 2024, citing prolonged incarceration and delays in trial proceedings. However, his swift reinstatement as a minister in Chief Minister MK Stalin's cabinet raised concerns about his influence over witnesses and the integrity of the judicial process.

The Bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, highlighted findings from earlier judgments, which recorded instances of Balaji allegedly using his ministerial power to influence witnesses and settle complaints against him.

Justice Oka remarked that the court had granted bail on the understanding that Balaji was no longer a minister, and his reappointment cast a shadow over the court's precedent on bail under the PMLA. The court gave Balaji until April 28, 2025, to decide between his ministerial post and his liberty, stating, "You have to make a choice between the post and freedom".

After such a strong rebuke, if anyone had thought that the Minister would put in his papers, and there would be a clamour for his ouster in case he doesn't oblige the court, then they had not understood the Dravidian politics and its well cultivated ecosystem. Till the moment of writing, the Minister has not bothered to respond to the developments at the courts, nor has there been pressure from the so-called liberal sections that supposedly pride itself on respecting judicial norms to give up his job. 

The next hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2025 (Monday), when Balaji is expected to inform the court of his decision regarding his ministerial role. 

Double whammy against Durai Murugan

Meanwhile, Minister Durai Murugan has been hauled up over coals in two separate disproportionate assets (DA) cases, both of which have been reopened by the Madras High Court.

The first case pertains to allegations that Durai Murugan amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister between 1996 and 2001. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) filed the case in 2002, accusing him of acquiring assets worth Rs 3.92 crore beyond his declared income. 

In 2007, a special court in Vellore discharged Durai Murugan, along with his family members, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and brother. However, the DVAC challenged this discharge in 2013 during the AIADMK regime. On April 23, 2025, the Madras High Court reversed the discharge order and directed the trial court to frame charges against all accused. The court has instructed that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis and completed within six months.

The second case involves allegations of disproportionate assets accumulated during Durai Murugan's tenure as PWD Minister in the DMK-led government from 2006 to 2011. The DVAC filed this case in 2011, claiming that he acquired assets worth Rs 1.40 crore beyond his known sources of income during the check period of 2007 to 2009.

In 2017, a special court in Vellore discharged Durai Murugan and his wife from this case as well. However, the DVAC filed a criminal revision petition challenging the discharge. On April 24, 2025, the Madras High Court reversed the discharge order, directing the trial court to frame charges and conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis. The court has also mandated that this trial be completed within six months.

This is another moment of ignominy for the State government and its senior Minister.

Ponmudy can’t escape hate speech charge

And the issue involving the gross speech of K Ponmudy is rightly refusing to die. The senior DMK man, who is no stranger to intemperance, made vulgar and despicable references --- during a public event organised by the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam on April 6, 2025 ----  to Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and women, drawing widespread backlash. He used a sexually explicit analogy involving a sex worker to mock religious symbols like the Shaivite horizontal tilak and the Vaishnavite vertical tilak. 

The Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance of the speech and directed the Tamil Nadu police to register an FIR against Ponmudy. Justice Anand Venkatesh emphasised that hate speech laws must apply equally to ministers and citizens, stating, "The law is for everyone. When the government takes hate speeches of others seriously, hate speeches by ministers too should be taken seriously." 

These blazing controversies and the important developments around them have put the Tamil Nadu government under scrutiny, raising questions about the ethical responsibilities of its Ministers. But while it is brazening it out with its silence, the woke brigade is looking elsewhere as if nothing has happened. Utter shamelessness in tandem!