The Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji has been sent to the custody of Enforcement Directorate till June 23, 2023, in connection with a money laundering case by Chennai's Session Court on Friday, news agency ANI reported. His bail plea has been refused by the court.
Balaji was detained by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with a cash-for-jobs fraud and is presently hospitalised.
Earlier this week, the court had send Balaji to judicial custody for the period of two weeks till June 28, 2023. Following this, the Minister had filed an application for bail or, alternatively, "rejection" of the custody order. Senior Counsel NR Elango stated that they had three requests in the alternative: first, to reject Balaji's judicial detention, second, to grant temporary bail, and third, to send him to Cauvery Hospital for emergency treatment. Later, the Court rejected his bail plea regarding the judicial remand.
In the early hours of Wednesday, V Senthil Balaji broke down while being brought into jail by ED authorities for interrogation.
Governor Re-Allocates Senthil Balaji's Portfolios
On the suggestions of Chief Minister M K Stalin, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi re-allocated the portfolios held by jailed state Minister V Senthil Balaji on Friday, but "has not agreed" to the minister staying in the cabinet, according to the Raj Bhavan, news agency PTI reported.
With Balaji now a minister without portfolio, Ravi opposed his continuation in the Stalin-led cabinet since he was facing criminal charges, according to a Raj Bhavan news release.
Ravi "has not agreed to Thiru V Senthil Balaji continuing any longer as a Member of the Council of Ministers, as he is facing criminal proceedings for moral turpitude and is currently in Judicial custody," it said, PTI reported.
According to the statement, the Electricity, Non-Conventional Energy Development portfolio held by Balaji has been assigned to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarsu based on Stalin's suggestions.
Furthermore, Balaji's topics Prohibition and Excise, Molasses have been assigned to Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy.
The new portfolios will be held by Thennarau and Muthusamy in addition to their current ones.