Sessions court extends ex-Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji’s remand, reserves order in plea seeking bank documents

CHENNAI: A sessions court here on Monday extended the remand of former Minister V Senthilbalaji – who was arrested last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case – till June 14, and also reserved orders on his petitions seeking directions to a bank seeking documents and original challans in connection with the case.

Deposing before the principal judge of the Chennai sessions court S Alli, the counsel representing Senthilbalaji submitted that some of the challans submitted by the banks are photocopies and sought to serve original copies of the challans. Further, the counsel sought to disclose the details of the bank officials who worked in the banks where Senthilbalaji held accounts during the check period (2012-2022) of the alleged offence.

Objecting to the submission, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) submitted that as per section 91 of CrPC, the prosecution documents could not be served and sought to dismiss the petition.

After all sides’ submissions, the judge reserved the order on June 14.

Since the judicial custody of Senthilbalaji ended on Monday (June 10), he was produced before the principal judge through video conference from Puzhal Central Prison, and recording the appearance, the judge extended the judicial custody till June 14.

Senthilbalaji was arrested under PMLA, by the Directorate of Enforcement on June 14, 2023, 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. The principal sessions judge sent Senthilbalaji under judicial custody on the same day.

While dismissing the bail petition of Senthilbalaji, the High Court directed the principal sessions court to complete the trial within three months by conducting it on a day-to-day basis.