Chennai: A sessions court on Wednesday directed the prison authorities to produce former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the ED last year for alleged money laundering, in person on August 8 for framing charges against him in the case.
Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was produced through video conferencing from the Puzhal prison here, extended his remand till Thursday When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, a petition was filed by Senthil Balaji, a senior DMK leader, seeking to adjourn the proceedings relating to framing of charges.
In her brief order, the judge said the accused was produced through video-conferencing and was said to be suffering from illness.
“Criminal miscellaneous petition is pending. Adjourned to August 8, 2024. Directed to be produced in person. Call for status report from the prison about the physical condition of accused adjourned to August 8, 2024. Remand extended till then,” the judge said.
Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Enforcement Directorate on a petition filed by Senthil Balaji, seeking to set aside an order of a sessions court that refused to discharge him from the case.
A division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam posted to August 14, further hearing of the criminal revision petition, which also sought to stay all further proceedings pending before the Principal Sessions Judge Alli.
In his petition, Balaji submitted that on the issue of influencing the prosecution witnesses, the ED has not placed any record to establish that either him or his family members or associates ever attempted to contact any of the witnesses to not to disclose any information or threatened or coerced them.
Till date, there was no allegation/complaint by any witness (either in the investigation relating to predicate offence or under PMLA) of being approached by him or by anyone on his behalf to give false evidence, he added.
He said there was no direct allegation against him, much less the fact that he was involved in the alleged job recruitment scam.
The former minister contended the trial court has not appreciated the aforesaid aspects that the foundational fact of proceeds of crime was not established by the ED as the proceeds of crime relied on by them was found to be nowhere.
Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023 by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during the earlier AIADMK regime.
His multiple bail pleas have been dismissed by the courts.
Published 07 August 2024, 14:47 IST
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