The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, who has been incarcerated since June 2023 due to his alleged involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims that the fraudulent activities occurred between 2011 and 2015, during Mr. Balaji's tenure as the Tamil Nadu transport minister in the AIADMK government led by the late J. Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June 2023 while serving as the electricity minister under Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK. His arrest followed several hours of questioning, and he was subsequently hospitalized after reporting chest pain.

On August 12 of last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a comprehensive 3,000-page charge sheet against Balaji.

On October 19, the High Court rejected Balaji's previous bail plea, and a local court has denied his bail petitions on three separate occasions.