Former DMK minister Senthil Balaji’s hopes of securing bail in the money laundering case have been dashed once again as the Madras High Court denied his plea for release. Justice N Anand Venkatesh, while declining bail, directed the special court to expedite the trial proceedings, aiming for completion within three months.
The decision marks the second time today, February 28th, that the Madras High Court has turned down Balaji’s bail request in the ongoing money laundering case. Despite the setback, the court’s directive for a swift trial offers a glimmer of relief for the former minister, who has been in prison for nearly eight months.
“The petitioner has suffered incarceration for more than eight months, and therefore, it will be more appropriate to direct the Special Court to dispose of C.C.No.9 of 2023 within a time frame,” stated Justice Anand Venkatesh. He emphasised the need for a day-to-day trial to ensure expeditious proceedings.
Senior counsel Aryama Sundaram, representing Senthil Balaji, argued that the accused had sufficiently challenged the evidence presented by the prosecution to warrant bail under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. However, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) contended that Balaji’s status as an MLA could still influence witnesses and highlighted the severity of the alleged crime.
Rejecting Balaji’s plea for evidence tampering, the court observed that the investigating agency had relied on documents from the predicate offence, which were duly authenticated. Balaji was arrested on June 14th in connection with the money laundering case stemming from his tenure as transport minister for the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015.
Despite repeated bail petitions, Balaji’s attempts to secure release have been met with rejection by the courts. His medical bail plea was denied by the High Court last October, and a city court in Chennai turned down his bail petition on three previous occasions.
In his latest legal manoeuvre, Balaji filed a petition seeking discharge from the money laundering case, prompting the court to issue a notice to the Enforcement Directorate, returnable by March 4th. Meanwhile, Balaji resigned from the Tamil Nadu cabinet after facing scrutiny from judicial authorities.
The former minister’s persistent efforts to obtain bail and prolong the trial proceedings have drawn criticism, with observers noting his utilisation of legal avenues to evade consequences. As the case unfolds, the spotlight remains on the judiciary’s resolve to ensure swift and impartial justice in matters of public interest.
