Stalin welcomes ‘brother’ Senthilbalaji from prison, says SC only ‘dawn’ against ED's actions

CHENNAI: Minutes after the Supreme Court granted bail to former minister V Senthilbalaji in the money laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-job scam, Chief Minister M K Stalin welcomed him with a post on social media platform X.

Calling Balaji his 'brother', Stalin said in his post today, "Dear brother Senthil Balaji has secured bail after 471 days owing to the Supreme Court. I welcome brother Senthil Balaji who is coming out of prison with a renewed vigour. Your sacrifice is great! Your resolve is even greater!”

Taking a veiled dig at the central government, the Chief Minister alleged that they were using the Enforcement Directorate as a weapon against opposition leaders and described the 15-month incarceration of his former cabinet colleague as a “political conspiracy intended to break his resolve."

"In a situation where the Enforcement Directorate has been converted into a department suppressing political enemies, the apex court is the only dawn," Stalin wrote.

Drawing a parallel with the incarceration of political opponents during the Emergency, he said, "Jail life was not so long even during the Emergency days" but that "political conspiracies today went up to 15 months".

Senthilbalaji was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the ED on June 14, 2023, from his residence in Chennai. The case was registered over an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as transport minister in the then AIADMK regime.

He was lodged in the Central Puzhal Prison here for 471 days.