Senthil Balaji Habeas Corpus plea: Supreme Court requests Madras High Court Chief Justice to form larger bench at the earliest

The Supreme Court on Tuesday requested the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to form a larger bench at the earliest to hear the habeas corpus plea filed for the release of Tamil Nadu minister, V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in connection with a money laundering case. .A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta was hearing a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a related case. The ED moved the top court contending that the Madras High Court had erred in even entertaining the habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife.Earlier today, a division bench of the High Court had delivered a split verdict on whether the habeas corpus petition was maintainable after Balaji's remand in the case. Hence, the matter has to be placed before the Chief Justice of the High Court for constituting a larger bench..Solicitor General of India (SGI) Tushar Mehta apprised the Supreme Court of this development.The top court then asked High Court Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala to place the matter before a larger bench at the earliest. .The Supreme Court further called for the assigned bench to decide on the case as early as possible.."The learned Solicitor General, has at the outset, pointed out that the division bench has delivered a split verdict and thus we request the Chief Justice of Madras High Court to place the matter before a larger bench at the earliest and further request the assigned bench to decide the case as early as possible," the top court ordered..The Supreme Court then posted the plea by the ED for hearing on July 24. It clarified that the pendency of the plea before the top court will have no bearing on proceedings before the Madras High Court. .The plea before the Supreme Court was filed by the ED challenging a Madras High Court order allowing Balaji to be shifted to a private hospital for bypass surgery.The ED contended that immediately after a remand order was passed by the sessions court, Balaji feigned an illness and got himself admitted to a hospital. The agency further questioned the High Court's decision to hear the habeas corpus plea filed by Balaji's wife after a judicial order to remand the minister had been passed. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh had earlier decided to wait for the High Court's decision on this habeas corpus case, before passing any orders..Balaji, a minister in the cabinet of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led government in Tamil Nadu, was arrested by the ED in connection with a cash-for-jobs case.The charges against him date back to his tenure as the transport minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015.Soon after his arrest, Balaji complained of chest pain and was admitted to a government hospital, where he underwent a coronary angiogram. The City Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai remanded Balaji to judicial custody till June 28 after visiting Balaji at the hospital and ascertaining his health condition..The Sessions judge, however, permitted Balaji to continue his medical treatment at the government hospital.Meanwhile, Balaji's wife, S Megala, moved a habeas corpus petition before the Madras High Court against his arrest. The High Court, in turn, granted him limited relief by allowing him to be shifted to a private hospital in order to undergo bypass surgery.Subsequently, on June 16, the Principal Judge at City Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai, S Alli allowed the plea by ED seeking custodial interrogation of the minister but directed that the interrogation should be conducted at the hospital.The ED then moved the Supreme Court challenging this order.