Money Laundering Case: Chennai Court Issued Notice to ED on Senthil Balaji’s Plea, Remand Extended till Apr 4

A Chennai sessions court orders issuing notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday on a petition filed by former DMK Minister V Senthil Balaji, seeking to reopen arguments on his side in his discharge petition in a case.

Balaji, who was arrested in June 2023 by the federal probe agency in a money laundering case, had his arguments in the discharge plea concluded on March 22, 2024.

Balaji’s appeared before III Additional Sessions Judge D V Anand via video conferencing from Puzhal Prison. The judge also extended the DMK leader’s remand until April 4, 2024.

Originally, Principal Sessions Judge S Alli had on March 22, reserved orders for today on Balaji’s discharge petition. However, Balaji filed the present petition.

In his current petition, Balaji noted that he had requested the court to direct bank officials to produce two original challans, and the court had issued summons to them for the same. However, the bank officials have not yet produced the challans before the court.

The former DMK minister emphasized that he has fulfilled the required procedures but has been unable to present arguments on the reliability and validity of the two challans due to their non-production. Therefore, he asserts that he can only make further arguments regarding the challans when the ED produces them before the court and provides him with copies.

Under these circumstances, Balaji argued that it is just and necessary to reopen the arguments on his side. He expressed concern that failure to do so would cause irreparable loss and great hardship.

Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, by the ED in connection with a money laundering case related to a cash-for-jobs scam that occurred during his tenure as Transport Minister in a previous AIADMK regime.

Despite multiple bail pleas, courts have rejected his requests.