Money Laundering Case: Chennai Court Extends Senthil Balaji’s Remand till June 10

A Chennai sessions court has extended the remand of former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji until June 10, 2024.

The Arrests

The DMK leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last June in connection with a money laundering case involving a cash-for-jobs scam while he was the Transport Minister under an earlier AIADMK regime.

Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was presented by the prosecution via video-conferencing from the Central Puzhal Prison, also extended his judicial custody until June 10.

Balaji’s Pleas

When the case was scheduled for hearing, the former minister filed two petitions.
One petition requested that City Union Bank, Karur provide a list of bank employees, specifically the clerk, cashier, and manager employed there between 2012 and 2022, as the ED had heavily relied on the bank’s counter foil challans, which were allegedly used to deposit cash by the petitioner and his wife.

In another petition, he requested that the bank provide a copy of the depositors’ PAN cards and counter foil challans for the period 2016-2022.
The judge scheduled a hearing on these petitions for June 10.
Meanwhile, the ED filed a counter-affidavit to Senthil Balaji’s petition, which sought to halt proceedings in the case until City Union Bank produced the original counter foils/challans used to make deposits in his and his wife’s accounts.

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