HC reserves orders on Senthil Balaji's bail plea

Chennai, Feb 21 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Wednesday reserved orders on a bail petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the ED last year in a money laundering case.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh reserved orders without specifying any date, after hearing elaborate arguments from Senior Counsel C Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Balaji and Additional Solicitor General A R L Sundaresan, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Balaji's earlier bail plea was dismissed by the HC on October 19, 2023.

The DMK leader, whose resignation from the MK Stalin-led state Cabinet was accepted last week by the Governor, was arrested in June 2023 by the central agency in the money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was Transport minister in an earlier AIADMK regime.

Balaji is currently lodged in the Puzhal Central prison.

Separately, a local court in the city is hearing his plea for discharge from the case. PTI