New Delhi [India], December 20 : The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the State of Tamil Nadu on a plea seeking to recall its verdict granting bail to Minister Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-jobs scam.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih sought details from Tamil Nadu about the cases pending against Balaji and the number of witnesses that are required to be examined in the cases.
The State was also asked to inform about how many victim-witnesses are public servants and how many are common people as witnesses. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 15.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the apex court that Balaji's re-appointment as a Cabinet Minister after his release from jail has created undue pressure on witnesses.
The bench then said, "We want to know from the state how many victims are there. If there are a large number of victims, then obviously this man occupying the position of cabinet minister, what will happen to victims?"
On December 2, the bench was surprised after knowing that Balaji was appointed as Minister in Tamil Nadu soon after he was granted bail in the money laundering case.
"We grant bail and the next day you go and become Minister. Anybody will be bound to be under the impression that now with your position as a senior cabinet minister witnesses will be under pressure. What is this going on?" the top court had said
The top court was hearing a plea seeking to recall the September 26 judgment by which it had granted bail to Balaji on the ground that witnesses would be under pressure since Balaji was appointed minister after his release.
The bench had earlier said that it would not recall the judgment but it would limit the scope of enquiry to whether the witnesses were under pressure. By September 26 judgment, the apex court granted bail to Balaji, despite finding that there was a prima facie case against him, on the grounds of his long incarceration, since June 2023, and the unlikelihood of the trial commencing soon. On September 29, Balaji took oath as the minister.
Earlier on June 14, 2023, Balaji was arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. The ED had arrested Balaji in connection with an Enforcement Case Information Register (ECIR) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2021.
The ECIR was registered based on three FIRs lodged against him by the local police in 2018 for his alleged involvement in a cash-for-job case when he was the Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa's Cabinet in 2015.
The charges date back to his tenure as transport minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015. He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in December 2018 and assumed office as the Electricity Minister after the party came to power in May 2021.