Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin welcomes 'brother' Balaji after release by SC

Chennai, Sep 26 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has welcomed his former Cabinet colleague and senior DMK leader, Senthil Balaji after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court of India on Thursday.

It may be noted that Senthil Balaji who was a transport and excise minister in the Tamil Nadu government was arrested on June 14, 2023 from his residence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for graft that he committed in his tenure with the previous AIADMK government.

He was lodged in Puzhal central prison for 471 days.

Stalin in a post on social media platform, X said, “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.”

The Chief Minister also indirectly took a dig at the Union government and alleged that they were using the ED as a weapon against Opposition leaders and described the 15-month incarceration of Balaji as a move to break his (Senthil Balaji’s) resolve.

Stalin in the post said, “In a situation where the Enforcement Directorate has been converted into a department suppressing political enemies, the apex court is the only solace.”

The Chief Minister also drew a parallel with the incarceration of political opponents during the Emergency days.

He said, “Jail life was not so long during the Emergency days”, but these political conspiracies today went up to 15 months.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday granted bail to Senthil Balaji.

Justice Abhay Oka of the Supreme Court while pronouncing the judgment observed that stringent bail provisions and delay in trial cannot go together.

It may be noted that Balaji, a sitting MLA from Karur Assembly constituency was accused in a money laundering case linked to allegations of his involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as the state transport minister between 2011 and 2016 in the previous AIADMK government.

Senthil Balaji was then with the AIADMK and has since left that party and joined the DMK.

The former minister was accused of carrying out a scheme with his close aides to collect money from job aspirants in exchange for employment in the Tamil Nadu Transport Department.

Many job aspirants who were allegedly duped filed complaints against Senthil Balaji who they accused of accepting cash but not offering the promised jobs.

The ED had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and arrested Balaji in June 2023.