Madras HC dismisses Senthilbalaji’s plea against trial court refusal

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed, as withdrawn, a petition filed by former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, challenging an order of a sessions court that refused to discharge him from a money laundering case.

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

Advocate Ma Gouthaman representing the former minister submitted that since the trial had commenced and charges were framed his client was inclined to withdraw his petition.

Special public prosecutor for the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) N Ramesh submitted that the cross-examination is in progress and also submitted the dates and facts of the lower court proceedings regarding the money laundering case. After submission by both sides, the bench dismissed the petition as withdrawn. Former minister Senthilbalaji had moved a petition before the principal sessions court in Chennai seeking to discharge him from the PMLA case. However, the session court dismissed the discharge 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 against an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK regime.