SC to Hear Plea Against HC Order Allowing Shifting TN Minister Senthil Balaji to Private Hospital

The plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate against the Madras High Court’s order permitting the transfer of Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji from a government hospital to a private facility will be heard by the Supreme Court on June 21.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought an urgent hearing before the vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice M M Sundresh.

Mehta informed the bench that Balaji, an influential minister, was granted permission by the high court to be moved to a private hospital.

The High Court issued the interim order on June 15 while considering a habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji’s wife.

Balaji, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was already receiving medical treatment at a government hospital in the city.

The Supreme Court also issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the main plea challenging the “illegal” arrest of Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji. The court has scheduled the matter for June 22.

In its order, the High Court had stated that Balaji would remain in judicial custody, while allowing the probe agency to have its own team of doctors to examine the minister. Balaji, who currently serves as the Tamil Nadu Electricity and Prohibition and Excise minister, was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a cash for jobs scam during his tenure as the transport minister in the previous AIADMK cabinet under the late J Jayalalithaa.