In an unexpected turn of events, V Ashok Kumar, who has been absconding for over two cases, has surrendered along with his Advocate before Principal Sessions Court in Chennai on April 9. Along with him, P Shanmugam, former assistant to minister Senthil Balaji, M Karthikeyan, G Ganesan, M Vetri Selvam, S Arun Ravindra, Daniel, D Albert Dhinakaran, S Jebaraj Kumar, C Palani, S Loganathan, D Prabhu, Anuradha among 12 persons have also surrendered before the principal judge.
In March this year, the court issued summons to minister V Senthil Balaji’s brother Ashok Kumar and others in the PMLA case connected with alleged job racket scam. Ashok Kumar has been absconding ever since his brother Senthil balaji was arrested in the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2023. The judge summoned Ashok Kumar to appear before the court on April 9.
Upon their surrender, the judge Karthikeyan ordered issuance of copies of Charge sheets filed in the case. He posted the hearing to 25th April. He also granted bail to Ashok Kumar on a personal bond of Rs. Two lakhs and a surety from two persons for the same amount.
The ED had frozen a 2.49-acre land located in Karur, valued at more than Rs 30 crore, belonging to Ashok’s wife Nirmala, after several rounds of raids and a detailed enquiry into assets acquired by Balaji and his relatives.
In June 2023, the ED arrested Balaji in a money laundering case based on a case registered by the Central Crime Branch police, Chennai. Balaji has been facing action in a corruption case in which cash was taken for providing jobs when he was the transport minister.
In January 2025, ED filed supplementary charge sheet before the Principal Sessions court including Ashok Kumar and 13 others in the alleged cash for job case. After reading the charge sheet, the court had issued summons.
What prompted Ashok Kumar to surrender before Justice Karthikeyan suddenly and what promoted him to do has baffled many in the political circles.
Meanwhile, in an affidavit, Senthil Balaji, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court on September 26, 2024 after he was in jail over 15 months, noting there was no possibility of the completion of trial in the near future, questioned the bona fide of the petitioner who sought recall of his bail order.
He said “It is critical to note that the appointment of respondent number 2 (Senthil Balaji) as a minister was neither contrary to the bail condition prescribed in para 31 of the judgement dated 26th September nor was the same contrary to any law. in fact, it has not even pleaded by the applicant K Vidhya Kumar in this application that after respondent no.2 having been appointed as a minister, there was any exertion of influence over any witnesses whatsoever”.
In the affidavit filed through his counsel Ram Sankar, Senthil Balaji said “therefore any exercise to modify the bail conditions would necessarily have to consider that the respondent no.2 enjoys the popular mandate and that he can’t be chastised for seeking a political office in pursuance of the popular mandate. Life and dignity have to given its true meaning, which means that respondent no.2 can’t be expected to live as a mere hollow shell despite being granted bail by the courts. It is his right to participate in public life so long as he is not disqualified due to any laws that may operate against him”.
The SC, on December 2, 2024, took a stern view against Balaji being reinstated into the cabinet. It had asked him to respond clearly to its question on whether he found “it fit to continue as a minister while he is an accused in the case.”
