Today, the Madras High Court rejected the bail application of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case. The court made its decision based on the merits of the case and instructed the trial court to continue with the trial on a daily basis, aiming to conclude it within a period of three months.

The bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the order after hearing arguments from Senior Counsel C Aryama Sundaram representing the incarcerated former minister and Additional Solicitor General AR. L. Sundaresan representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

During the proceedings, the court extensively listened to the arguments presented by both parties before deciding to reserve its judgment. On February 14, the Senior Counsel representing the former minister contended that the digital evidence provided by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to support the money laundering accusations against Senthil Balaji was dubious. He asserted that the hard disks and pen drives purportedly seized by the ED had been tampered with or fabricated.

The Senior Counsel emphasized that while the agency claimed it would establish the authenticity of the evidence during the trial, such assurance alone should not suffice to detain the former minister. He argued that opposing the bail plea based on Senthil Balaji's former ministerial influence was unjustified, especially considering his resignation from the position, which had eliminated any perceived influence. Additionally, he pointed out that the investigation had been concluded, further underscoring the grounds for potential relief.

On February 16, Additional Solicitor General AR. L. Sundaresan representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) countered the allegation of digital evidence manipulation. He asserted that there had been no tampering with the seized hard disk, which formed a crucial part of the digital evidence in the case. Refuting claims of fabrication, he stated that the thousands of files stored on the hard disk were thoroughly investigated by forensic experts. Subsequently, a few files were selected and included in the list of pertinent evidence. Importantly, Sundaresan clarified that this process occurred before the ED officially initiated the investigation by registering the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on July 29, 2021.

The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) also emphasized that the investigation conducted by the crime branch had unearthed evidence presented before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, indicating the former minister's complicity in money laundering activities. Additionally, he argued that despite Senthil Balaji's resignation from his ministerial position, he still retained significant influence that could potentially be exploited to tamper with witnesses or obstruct justice if granted bail.

Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 last year in connection with a case involving money laundering and a job scam. The allegations suggest that during his tenure as the Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa's Cabinet from 2011 to 2015, a job racket occurred within the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. It is alleged that Senthil Balaji solicited bribes from individuals promising them jobs within the Transport Department and subsequently deceived them.

It is notable that Senthil Balaji recently filed a petition in a city court in Chennai seeking discharge from the money laundering case. The court responded by issuing a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the former minister's plea. The notice is returnable by March 4, indicating that the ED has until then to respond to Senthil Balaji's request.