Top court objects to Senthil Balaji’s minister post after bail: ‘What’s going on?’

The Supreme Court on Monday raised concern over DMK leader Senthil Balaji’s reinstatement as a minister in Tamil Nadu following bail granted to him in a money laundering case. The court also agreed to hear a plea raising apprehensions about the independence of witnesses in the cash-for-job case against the DMK leader.
“We granted you bail and the next day you go and become a minister. Anybody will be bound to be under the impression that witnesses will now be under pressure. What is this going on?” the bench asked the advocate appearing for Balaji.
Balaji was granted bail by the Supreme Court on September 26 in a case linked to an alleged cash-for-job scam. Days later on September 29, Balaji was made minister in the Tamil Nadu government. He took oath as the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, the same portfolio he held from May 2021 to June 2023.
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, however, refused to interfere with the September 26 order that granted bail to Balaji.
In its observations, the Supreme Court further said that it will only consider one aspect of the plea where apprehension has been expressed that witnesses might feel pressure given the fact that Balaji is now a minister in the Tamil Nadu government.
The petitioner expressed the apprehension that considering the seriousness of allegations against Balaji in the predicate offences, the witnesses may not be in the frame of mind to depose against him, the court said.
The case against Balaji alleges that during his tenure as the Transport Minister in Tamil Nadu between 2011 and 2015, the recruitment process in the transport department turned into a “corrupt chiefdom”, and the alleged scam was executed under his authority.
A money laundering case was also filed against Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), claiming that being a public servant, Balaji “misused” his official capacity as the then transport minister, he obtained pecuniary benefits by corrupt and illegal means and directly acquired the proceeds of crime.