Sessions court ready to pronounce judgment in Senthilbalaji's bail plea

CHENNAI: The Principal Sessions Court of Chennai has posted the pronouncement of a final order in the bail plea of jailed minister V Senthilbalaji on January 12 (Friday), in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.

Principal sessions judge S Alli heard the bail plea of Senthilbalaji.

The senior counsel Aryama Sundaram appeared for Senthilbalaji contended that the ED tampered with the evidence against his clients.

The ED manipulated the funds in the bank accounts of his client and made a false case out of it, said the counsel.

The ED clubbed the bank transactions made by his client before the alleged offense, with the bank transactions done by his client after the said allegation and the ED avoided to consider the revenue generated through farming.

The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan appeared for ED submitted that between 2016 - 2017 several lakh rupees were deposited in Senthilbalaji's account.

The ASG also submitted that the pen drive seized from Senthilbalaji's house was found with several entries containing the names and money received from various candidates, who had applied for jobs in the State transport department.

Further, the ASG vehemently objected to the opposition side's contention of tampering with the evidence and submitted that the ED had submitted the prima facie of the offense in the court.

Since the accused is an influential person in the State holding ministership even after being arrested under PMLA, bail should not be granted in favor of Senthilbalaji, ASG added.

Senthilbalaji was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), by the ED on June 14 at his residence in Chennai. The investigating agency registered the PMLA case against Senthilbalaji over an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK regime.

Later Senthilbalaji was produced before the sessions court in Chennai on August 12 and the ED submitted a charge sheet of about 200 pages and 3000 pages of documents related to the investigation in a sealed cover.

The principal sessions court refused earlier two pleas of Senthilbalaji seeking bail and the Madras High Court also dismissed his bail plea under medical grounds. During the appeal, the Supreme Court refused Senthilbalaji's plea and directed him to approach the lower court.

After the Supreme Court's direction, Senthilbalaji approached the principal sessions court for the third time seeking bail.