“Cricket Stadium Will Be Needed To Conduct Trial Involving Former TN Minister Senthil Balaji”: SC

The Supreme Court strongly reprimanded the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday for naming over 2,000 individuals as accused in the cash-for-jobs scam involving former minister V. Senthil Balaji.

The court demanded a detailed list of all the accused and witnesses involved in the sprawling case.

Trial Described As Unmanageable

A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi criticized the handling of the trial, calling it a “rudderless ship.” The court expressed concern that, without judicial oversight, the state seemed reluctant to properly pursue the case, potentially allowing it to be quietly dismissed.

Highlighting the massive scale of the proceedings, the bench remarked, “With over 2,000 accused and 500 witnesses, this will be India’s most crowded trial. The trial court’s small courtroom will be inadequate—perhaps a cricket stadium would be needed to even accommodate the accused. Artificial intelligence-generated accused might even appear to mark attendance.”

This statement came during arguments presented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaryanan, representing victims who opposed the merging of cases.

Questions On Prosecutorial Capacity

The court also discussed the state’s plea for appointing a special public prosecutor. It noted that when influential politicians and wealthy individuals face charges, expecting a single public prosecutor to ensure justice may be unrealistic.

Court’s Earlier Warnings & Balaji’s Resignation

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the Tamil Nadu government’s alleged strategy to stall the trial by naming thousands as accused, calling it a “complete fraud on the judicial system.”

Following the court’s directions, Balaji resigned from his ministerial position on April 27. The Supreme Court had previously warned him to choose “between post and freedom” on April 23, threatening to revoke his bail if he refused to step down.

Background Of The Case

Balaji had spent over 15 months in custody before being granted bail on September 26, 2024, in a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. Despite his bail, he was reinstated as a minister on September 29, 2024, continuing to oversee key departments like electricity and excise.

Court observed that there is little prospect of the trial concluding soon, underscoring the complexity and seriousness of the case.

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