TN: 5 days after bail and return to Cabinet, Senthil Balaji gets new shocker

Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court after 471 days of imprisonment in a money-laundering case five days ago, cannot breathe easy—yet. The DMK's celebrations at the Puzhal prison to welcome Balaji were short-lived. The Supreme Court has suggested to the Madras High Court that a sessions judge be appointed to conduct his trial without delay.

More importantly, the court has declared that it will consider the petitioners’ demand to remove Balaji as a minister in the next hearing on October 22.

Supreme Court rules

A Bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Augustine George Masih stated that the cash-for-job scam case against Balaji should be resolved quickly due to the serious nature of the allegations in the chargesheet. The case involves over 2,000 accused and around 600 prosecution witnesses.

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“Considering the magnitude of the case in terms of the number of accused and witnesses, the case against Balaji must be entrusted to a qualified sessions judge who is not already overburdened,” the court said.

Case against Balaji

The Enforcement Directorate has accused Balaji of money laundering linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam dating back to 2011-16, when he served as transport minister in the AIADMK government of the now-deceased chief minister, J Jayalalithaa. He later joined the DMK.

He was accused of accepting bribes ranging from Rs 1.75 lakh to Rs 12 lakh from people with a promise to provide jobs in the department he headed. Balaji was arrested amid dramatic circumstances in June last year, with a recommendation for cardiac surgery shortly after his detention.

At a time when electricity issues in Tamil Nadu require urgent attention and significant reforms to alleviate deep financial debts, the heavy portfolio previously held by Balaji is in dire need of oversight. He has to work on another major portfolio — prohibition and exercise.

Balaji’s political background

Even during the swearing-in ceremony held on September 29 at Raj Bhavan, Balaji looked dejected. He occasionally smiled at senior leaders, but his gloomy demeanour was markedly different from his earlier appearances in public forums before his jailing.

Balaji, who joined the DMK in 2018 after leaving the AIADMK following Jayalalithaa’s death, was quickly offered a district secretary post in the DMK. He won a by-election in 2019 from Aravakuruchi and retained his Assembly seat. His victory in 2021 from Karur further increased his reputation, having won four consecutive elections he contested, with nearly 50 per cent of the votes in both Karur and Aravakuruchi.

DMK under fire

However, returning to the Cabinet with his former portfolio attracted severe criticism for the DMK. Although the party signalled support for loyalists, it also provided ammunition for opposition parties like the AIADMK and the BJP to criticize the DMK for offering a ministry for a person out on bail.

As the case against Balaji dates back to 2015, when he was the transport minister in the AIADMK cabinet, Opposition parties highlight that the DMK previously raised alarms about the same scam and now appeared to protect him. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss even asked Chief Minister MK Stalin to act as an impartial judge for the people rather than as a lawyer for an accused.

Asked if the appointment of a special judge would be a significant setback for Balaji and the DMK, senior journalist R Ilangovan said it would not heavily impact either party.

DMK versus ED

“The Supreme Court granted bail because Balaji cannot be imprisoned indefinitely, given the prolonged nature of the case. Since he has been appointed a minister, there are chances for him to seek bail relaxations using his ministerial position. The appointment of a special judge will not adversely affect either Balaji or the DMK,” he said.

He added: “The reinstatement of Balaji in his former position is a political decision. The DMK wants to signal to the BJP that it cannot intimidate using the Enforcement Directorate. Stalin aims to demonstrate that he is acting against vendetta politics.”

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The DMK strategy

DMK sources told The Federal that Balaji himself preferred a minor portfolio as his imprisonment took a heavy toll on his physical and mental health. However, the party wanted to convey a message to the Modi government that the DMK would not yield to its aggressive ED strategy.

“He wanted to be in a non-controversial minor portfolio. But the party leadership decided to reinstate him in the same position. They believe this will rejuvenate support for the party in the Western region of Tamil Nadu, where it has been gaining traction in recent years. This is purely a political move,” said an insider.