The Supreme Court asked the Enforcement Directorate to prove that a crucial file implicating Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case was found on a pen drive seized from his residence. The case involves allegations of a cash-for-jobs scam.
Coimbatore: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 24) demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provide concrete evidence in the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji. The court specifically asked the ED to demonstrate that a pen drive recovered from Balaji's residence contains a file with alleged evidence of proceeds of crime worth Rs. 67 Crores.
Balaji, currently an MLA, has been accused in a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs allegations. He was arrested by the ED in June last year and is challenging a Madras High Court order that denied him bail. The ED's prosecution complaint relies on a file named "CSAC.xlsx", which allegedly contains evidence of Balaji receiving Rs. 67 Crores as proceeds of crime from the alleged scam.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih heard arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED. Justice Oka emphasized the need for the ED to prove that the pen drive marked as Item no. 5 was indeed sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and that the file "CSAC.xlsx" was found in it.
The court's inquiry came after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Balaji, contended on Monday that the file "CSAC.xlsx" was not part of the pen drive recovered from Balaji's residence. Advocate Hossain argued that the file was part of the materials seized by the Tamil Nadu Police in the predicate offence and the ED obtained the material from the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court.
The case stems from Balaji's tenure as Minister in Tamil Nadu's transport department between 2011-2016. He is accused of orchestrating, along with his personal assistants and brother, the collection of money by promising job opportunities in various positions of the Department. The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) based on these allegations and arrested Balaji in June 2023.
The Madras High Court had previously rejected Balaji's bail plea, citing the possibility of witness influence and noting his continued influence despite no longer being a Minister. The Supreme Court will continue to hear the case, with the ED expected to provide further evidence to support their claims against Balaji.
Balaji, currently an MLA, has been accused in a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs allegations. He was arrested by the ED in June last year and is challenging a Madras High Court order that denied him bail. The ED's prosecution complaint relies on a file named "CSAC.xlsx", which allegedly contains evidence of Balaji receiving Rs. 67 Crores as proceeds of crime from the alleged scam.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih heard arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED. Justice Oka emphasized the need for the ED to prove that the pen drive marked as Item no. 5 was indeed sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and that the file "CSAC.xlsx" was found in it.
The court's inquiry came after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Balaji, contended on Monday that the file "CSAC.xlsx" was not part of the pen drive recovered from Balaji's residence. Advocate Hossain argued that the file was part of the materials seized by the Tamil Nadu Police in the predicate offence and the ED obtained the material from the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court.
The case stems from Balaji's tenure as Minister in Tamil Nadu's transport department between 2011-2016. He is accused of orchestrating, along with his personal assistants and brother, the collection of money by promising job opportunities in various positions of the Department. The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) based on these allegations and arrested Balaji in June 2023.
The Madras High Court had previously rejected Balaji's bail plea, citing the possibility of witness influence and noting his continued influence despite no longer being a Minister. The Supreme Court will continue to hear the case, with the ED expected to provide further evidence to support their claims against Balaji.