Senthil Balaji Case: Madras HC Chief Justice Names Justice Karthikeyan As 3rd Judge

The hearing was necessitated again after Justice Nisha Banu and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy gave a split verdict in the case on Tuesday.

With the appointment, Justice Karthikeyan is set to hear the case afresh.

A day after Supreme Court told Madras HC to place the habeas corpus petition of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil's wife before a larger bench, Madras High Court Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala named Justice CV Karthikeyan as the third judge. The hearing was necessitated again after Justice Nisha Banu and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy gave a split verdict in the case on Tuesday.

With the appointment, Justice Karthikeyan is set to hear the case afresh. Justice Karthikeyan's decision will be final which will lead to a verdict of 2:1 as this would be the majority verdict, said a report on IANS.

On Tuesday, a bench of justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta of the Supreme Court told Madras HC chief justice that Balaji’s petition should be decided by the new bench expeditiously.

Senthil Balaji was detained by ED on July 14 in relation to a cash-for-jobs scandal that occurred when he served as the transport minister under the previous AIADMK regime. During questioning by ED, the Minister reportedly complained of chest pain and was hospitalised. Later, he underwent a bypass surgery in a private hospital.

Meanwhile, the arrest of Senthil Balaji has also intensified the tussle between Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi. The issue widened after Governor dismissed V Senthil Balaji, accused in a money laundering case, from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect. TN Chief Minister M K Stalin immediately reacted to the matter and said the governor has no power to dismiss the minister and his government would face it legally.

After facing the ire of the people, Governor put the decision on hold. The Governor had said, “In this regard, I have been advised by the Hon'ble Union Minister of Home Affairs that it would be prudent to seek the opinion of the Attorney General also. Accordingly, I am approaching the Attorney General for his opinion.”