Supreme Court directs the Madras High Court to assign the corruption trial of Minister Senthil Balaji in the cash-for-jobs scam to a sessions judge with a lesser workload, citing the current judge's heavy caseload.
Chennai: The Supreme Court, on Monday (September 30), directed the Madras High Court to assign the corruption trial of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, accused in a cash-for-jobs scam, to a sessions judge with a lighter caseload. The apex court pointed out that the current sessions judge handling cases related to MPs and MLAs is overburdened with 29 cases, many of which are still at the trial stage.
A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih emphasized the need for timely disposal of the case, which involves over 2,000 accused persons and 600 prosecution witnesses. The Court suggested that the High Court appoint an additional sessions judge to manage the load of such cases, including the trial of Senthil Balaji.
The Court's order also underlined the necessity for the new judge not to be overburdened with other cases. A copy of the order has been forwarded to the Registrar General of the Madras High Court, with instructions to report back to the Supreme Court by October 25, 2023, on the steps taken.
Concerns about Minister Balaji's reappointment after receiving bail were raised by Senior Advocates Gopal Sankarnarayanan and S Guru Krishnakumar. They called for the reconsideration of his bail and the exclusive assignment of a judge for the trial. However, the Court noted that appointing a non-overburdened judge should suffice.
Senior Advocate Shekhar Naphade, representing the Tamil Nadu government, questioned the focus on Balaji, pointing out other ministers with pending cases. The Court suggested prioritizing the trial of cases against all ministers and requested a list of pending cases for appropriate action.
A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih emphasized the need for timely disposal of the case, which involves over 2,000 accused persons and 600 prosecution witnesses. The Court suggested that the High Court appoint an additional sessions judge to manage the load of such cases, including the trial of Senthil Balaji.
The Court's order also underlined the necessity for the new judge not to be overburdened with other cases. A copy of the order has been forwarded to the Registrar General of the Madras High Court, with instructions to report back to the Supreme Court by October 25, 2023, on the steps taken.
Concerns about Minister Balaji's reappointment after receiving bail were raised by Senior Advocates Gopal Sankarnarayanan and S Guru Krishnakumar. They called for the reconsideration of his bail and the exclusive assignment of a judge for the trial. However, the Court noted that appointing a non-overburdened judge should suffice.
Senior Advocate Shekhar Naphade, representing the Tamil Nadu government, questioned the focus on Balaji, pointing out other ministers with pending cases. The Court suggested prioritizing the trial of cases against all ministers and requested a list of pending cases for appropriate action.