Sessions court reserves final order in Senthilbalaji's discharge plea

CHENNAI: A sessions court in Chennai reserved the final orders in the petition filed by the former jailed minister V Senthilbalaji seeking to discharge him from the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA) case.

The case was listed before the principal sessions judge S Alli.

The counsel for Senthilbalaji submitted that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has not placed any material to establish the proceeds of crime against the former minister.

It was also submitted that if the trial court acquitted Senthilbalaji from the job racket case booked by the Central Crime Branch, then the ED case couldn't survive, said the counsel.

The counsel for ED submitted that the case registered against Senthilbalaji is based on the material evidence.

Further, the HC also wrote that there is a proceeds of crime for the job racket and directed to complete the trial within three months on a daily basis, said the ED.

The agency is ready to commence the trial and said that the discharge petition is not maintainable, and sought to dismiss the petition.

After all the submissions, the judge reserved the final order on March 28 and the judicial custody of Senthilbalaji also extended.

Senthilbalaji was produced before the principal sessions judge through video conference from Puzhal Central Prison.

Recording the appearance, the judge extended the judicial custody till March 28.

Senthilbalaji was arrested under 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.

On the same day, the principal sessions judge subjugated Senthilbalaji under judicial custody.

Subsequently, he underwent major surgery for the complaint of coronary artery blockage and later he was shifted to Puzhal prison.

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.

It may be noted that the Madras High Court dismissed Senthilbalaji's bail plea earlier on two occasions and directed the lower court to complete the trial in the PMLA case within three months.