SC Grants Bail to Former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in Cash-for-jobs Scam

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted conditional bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with a money laundering case linked to the cash-for-jobs scam. Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 last year, has been in judicial custody since his arrest.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih imposed stringent conditions while granting bail. The Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on August 12 after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, and senior advocates Mukul Rohatagi and Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Balaji.

Earlier, on February 28, the Madras High Court had dismissed Balaji's bail petition. Justice N Anand Venkatesh rejected the plea in the money laundering case registered by the ED. Prior to that, on October 19, 2023, the high court had also dismissed a similar bail request from Balaji. Local courts had denied him bail on multiple occasions, including on September 20 and January 12, this year.

The charges against Balaji stem from his tenure as the Tamil Nadu Transport Minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015. The Enforcement Case Information Register (ECIR) was filed following three FIRs lodged by the local police in 2018 regarding his alleged involvement in the cash-for-jobs scam, which occurred when he was a minister in Jayalalithaa's cabinet in 2015.

Balaji joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in December 2018 and later became the electricity minister when the party came to power in May 2021. However, his arrest in June 2023 by the ED brought renewed attention to the cash-for-jobs scam, with a 3,000-page charge sheet filed against him in August last year.

While dismissing Balaji's bail petition earlier, the high court had remarked that releasing him in a case of this nature could send the wrong signal and run contrary to larger public interest. Given that Balaji had been in custody for over eight months, the court also instructed the Principal Special Court in Chennai to expedite the trial, setting a three-month deadline to conclude the case. "Accordingly, there shall be a direction to the Principal Special Court, Chennai, to dispose of the case within a period of three months from the date of receipt of copy of this order," the court directed.

The high court also ordered the trial to be conducted on a day-to-day basis following the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. Balaji’s case continues to draw attention as legal proceedings move forward under close scrutiny.