“Decision Awaited: Former Tamil Nadu Minister’s Discharge Petition in Money Laundering Case”

On April 30, a sessions court will announce its decision on the discharge petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case. Balaji was arrested last year by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). After hearing arguments from Balaji’s counsel Gouthaman and Special Public Prosecutor N Ramesh for the ED, Principal Sessions Judge S Alli reserved orders for Tuesday on the discharge petition filed by Balaji. On March 28, Balaji filed a petition seeking to re-open the arguments on his side, which had been closed on March 22, on his discharge petition. The judge re-opened and heard the arguments. During Thursday’s video conferencing hearing, the judge extended Balaji’s judicial custody till April 30. Furthermore, a division bench of Justices M S Ramesh and Sunder Mohan of the Madras High Court posted the further hearing of a revision petition filed by Balaji, challenging an order of the PSJ dismissing his plea to defer the trial in the money laundering case till taking cognizance and framing of charges in the predicate offences, to June 21. Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, by the ED 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.