Sessions court seeks ED's response to Senthilbalaji's bail plea
The bail petition was listed before Principal Judge S Alli. The senior counsel NR Elango appeared for the minister contended that the ED has maneuvered documents in the PMLA case and submitted that some proofs were attached to the petition.
V Senthilbalaji (Photo credit: Justin George)
CHENNAI: The Principal Sessions Court of Chennai has issued notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to respond to the bail plea of jailed minister V Senthilbalaji in a Prevention of Money Laundry Act (PMLA) case.
The bail petition was listed before Principal Judge S Alli. The senior counsel NR Elango appeared for the minister contended that the ED has maneuvered documents in the PMLA case and submitted that some proofs were attached to the petition.
Advocate N Ramesh appeared for ED and sought time to file counters. After the submission, the judge posted the matter to January 8 for further submission.
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 times to grant bail to the jailed minister 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.