Supreme Court seeks response from ED on V Senthil Balaji plea seeking release in money laundering case

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji and his wife S Megala seeking the minister's release after his arrest last month in connection with a money laundering case..A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh issued notice to the ED and urged both parties to keep their submissions brief, considering that three judges (of the High Court) have already considered the matter. .Balaji and his wife moved the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order declining to release him in a cash-for-jobs scam case being probed by the ED.The minister was arrested in the case last month after undergoing questioning by the ED.The Madras High Court, on July 14, ruled against Balaji's release in a habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife.That order was passed by Justice CV Karthikeyan, who was appointed as the tie-breaker judge after two judges of the High Court earlier found themselves unable to agree on the matter.The top court today also heard a plea by the ED which contended that the High Court had erred in even entertaining the habeas corpus petition..The case against Balaji stemmed from alleged irregularities in the appointment of bus conductors in the State transport department, as well as the appointment of drivers and junior engineers.All of these appointments were made during Balaji's tenure as the Transport Minister in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government between 2011 and 2015. Balaji had later joined the DMK in 2018. Following his remand by a sessions court, Balaji was placed under judicial custody. However, instead of being sent to prison, he was eventually transferred to a private hospital where he underwent bypass surgery.Meanwhile, his wife filed a habeas corpus petition before the High Court seeking his release. After a division bench of the High Court delivered a split verdict on this plea, a third judge was appointed to decide on the matter.Justice Kartikeyan, the tie-breaker judge, concluded that Balaji's arrest by the ED was legal. Therefore, the High Court could not quash such an arrest to release the minister from custody, he held.Justice Karthikeyan's verdict against Balaji prompted the present appeal before the Supreme Court.