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The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on a plea filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji seeking relaxation of his bail conditions in the money laundering case arising out of the cash-for-jobs scam.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked ED to respond as to whether Balaji's appearance before it is still required or not in terms of the conditions imposed while granting bail. During the hearing, ED opposed the application for modification of bail conditions, saying that the bench that imposed the conditions was conscious of their stringent nature and these conditions have ensured smooth progress of trial. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Balaji, said that the investigation being over and the complaint having been filed, the opposition to relaxation of the condition is nothing but adversarial. Balaji has never absconded and has appeared before the ED on 116 occasions, he added. On September 26, 2024, the apex court allowed the bail plea of Balaji in the money laundering case. Balaji sought modification of two conditions, firstly where the top court had asked him to mark his attendance every Monday and Friday between 11 am and 12 noon in the office of the Deputy Director, ED at Chennai and to also appear on the first Saturday of every calendar month before the investigating officers of the three scheduled offences. The second condition said that he shall regularly and punctually remain present before the courts dealing with scheduled offences as well as the special court and shall cooperate with the courts for early disposal of cases. Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK government. 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 on the basis of 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. (ANI)
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