What is left to hear: Madras HC puzzled at Senthilbalaji's discharge plea

CHENNAI: With the trial commencing on the money laundering case filed against V Senthilbalaji and charges already framed, what purpose would be served by entertaining the discharge petition he moved, wondered a puzzled Madras High Court on Wednesday.

A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam was hearing the criminal revision petition moved by Senthilbalaji challenging the dismissal of his discharge petition.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan, representing the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), submitted that the principal sessions court had framed the charges against the DMK leader, and the trial had already begun with the examination of a prosecution witness.

The bench wondered what was left to entertain in the revision petition as the charges were already framed against Senthilbalaji.

Advocate M Gouthaman, representing the former minister, submitted that a discharge petition can be filed at any stage of the trial and sought time to accommodate the senior counsel he has engaged in the case. Accepting the request, the bench posted the matter to August 28 for further proceedings.

Former minister Senthilbalaji had moved a petition before the principal sessions court in Chennai seeking to discharge him from the PMLA case. However, the sessions court dismissed the petition.

Challenging this order, Senthilbalaji moved the criminal revision petition in the High Court. Senthilbalaji was arrested under PMLA by the ED on June 14, 2023, at his residence in Chennai. The PMLA case was registered over an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK regime.

Recently, the sessions court framed charges against Senthilbalaji and commenced the witness examination.