Former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, arrested in the job-for-cash bribery scandal, has been granted bail by the Supreme Court under certain conditions, leading to his release. Senthil Balaji was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 last year on charges of money laundering.
He faced accusations of being involved in the money laundering related to a cash-for-jobs scandal during his tenure as the Transport Minister under the AIADMK government. His bail application had previously been rejected by the Madras High Court and was also turned down three times by the lower court.
Read More: 'Show evidence against former minister Senthil Balaji...', Supreme Court directs ED.
The High Court dismissed the bail, suggesting that granting bail in such cases would send a wrongful message. At the Supreme Court, the ED strongly contested Balaji's bail plea.
3,000-Page Chargesheet against Balaji
In June 2023, Senthil Balaji was arrested by ED for money laundering linked to the cash-for-jobs scandal while he was the Transport Minister. Shortly after his arrest, he underwent bypass surgery at a private hospital. Following the surgery, Balaji was taken into custody for interrogation by the ED and was subsequently placed under judicial custody, with his remand being extended periodically. On August 12, the ED filed a 3,000-page chargesheet against Balaji.
