The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with his June 2023 arrest in a money laundering case [V Senthil Balaji v. Deputy Director].
A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih cited delays in the trial as a key factor in their decision. “We have granted bail with certain stringent conditions,” the Court stated.
During the hearings, the Bench questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the expected start of Balaji’s trial. Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra represented Balaji, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and special counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED.
Balaji sought relief from the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court rejected his bail plea on February 28. He had been arrested by the ED on June 14, 2023, in a case stemming from alleged irregularities in the appointments of bus conductors, drivers, and junior engineers during his tenure as transport minister for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015.
Prior to this, his bail applications had been rejected by a sessions court in Chennai on three occasions. A medical bail plea was also denied by the High Court in October last year, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court.
