A court in Chennai on Friday rejected the bail plea of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a cash-for-jobs case, PTI reported.
Balaji’s bail applications have been previously rejected twice by the same court, once by the Madras High Court and once by the Supreme Court, The News Minute reported.
Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in June for allegedly conspiring with transport corporation officials to appoint candidates recommended by his aides in exchange for money. He then allegedly laundered the proceeds of the crime in violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The law enforcement agency has alleged that bribes worth crores were taken from candidates in exchange for jobs when Balaji was the transport minister in Tamil Nadu’s previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, from 2011 to 2016. After the party split in 2017, Balaji joined the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is currently in power in Tamil Nadu.
Advocate Aryama Sundaram, representing Balaji, argued that the Enforcement Directorate had tampered with evidence and questioned the veracity of materials it had submitted to the court. Sundaram said that Balaji had been incarcerated for more than 200 days despite the investigation having been completed, reported The News Minute.
Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan argued that Balaji, who continues to be a minister without portfolio since his arrest, could derail the investigation and threaten witnesses if he is granted bail, reported The New Indian Express.
Sundaresan also said that Balaji’s bail petition only reiterates arguments made in earlier pleas that the court has already denied.
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