TN Minister In ED Custody: Stalin Slams ED For 'Inhumane' Treatment, Oppn Unites Against 'Politics of Intimidation'

During questioning, Senthil Balaji complained of discomfort and chest pain and was taken to Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital. He also broke out while on the way.

The Minister was named as an accused in the scam that reportedly took place between 2011 and 2015.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, & Excise V Senthil Balaji was on Wednesday taken into custody by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. After 18 hours of raids by the ED in connection with the job-for-cash scam, Senthil Balaji was quizzed by the probe agency. During that time, Senthil Balaji complained of discomfort and chest pain and was taken to Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital. He also broke out while on the way. The hospital later said the minister had been administered a coronary angiogram and had been advised bypass surgery at the earliest.

Turn Of Events

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) started searches against Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji and others as part of a money laundering investigation on Tuesday. A team of ED officials also raided the office of Senthil Balaji at the Secretariat in Chennai. His official residence at Greenways in Chennai was also raided.

After an 18-hour search, ED took him into custody at 1.30 am on Wednesday. The ED also started questioning him. However, while he was being quizzed, Senthil Balaji reportedly complained of discomfort. The ED officials took him to Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital at Omandurar for a checkup. However, on the way to the hospital, the Minister broke down and he was lifted by hands by the officials from the car to the hospital. 

During the health investigations, the doctors detected variations in the ECG and shifted him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He is currently under observation at the ICU

Several Ministers including Sekar Babu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ma Subramanian, Anbil Mahesh and Ponmudi visited the Electricity Minister. The ministers claimed that Senthil Balaji was tortured in the custody of ED.

Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Raghupathy said, "Senthil Balaji was targeted and tortured. ED kept questioning him continuously for 24 hours. This is totally against human rights. They (ED) have to answer to the people and the court."

Chennai | Senthil Balaji was targeted and tortured. ED kept questioning him continuously for 24 hours. This is totally against human rights. They (ED) have to answer to the people and the court: S Raghupathi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister https://t.co/Oe4crk8Ota pic.twitter.com/7g7LxXKEie

— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2023

Various national leaders condemned the searches on Senthil Balaji's residence. Congress President Kharge said, "This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi Govt. against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves. Such gross misuse of investigative agencies against political opponents has been the hallmark of the Modi government."

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Slams ED

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin met Senthil Balaji at the hospital and enquired about his health condition. Stalin called the ED's raid at the secretariat office of Balaji a direct assault on the federal principle. "The BJP will learn it the hard way soon. The silence of people who are watching the BJP’s cheap acts of vindictive politics should not be underestimated. It is nothing but the calm before the storm of 2024 [national polls] that will sweep BJP away."

 The chief minister also thanked Congress president Kharge, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and all other Opposition leaders for condemning the ED raid. 

In a tweet, Stalin said, "I thank Thiru @Kharge, Thiru @PawarSpeaks, Hon'ble @MamataOfficial, Hon'ble @ArvindKejriwal, Thiru @SitaramYechury and all the opposition leaders for strongly condemning the undemocratic ED raid unleashed by Union BJP Government at Tamil Nadu Secretariat and offending the Cooperative Federalism."

I thank Thiru @Kharge, Thiru @PawarSpeaks, Hon'ble @MamataOfficial, Hon'ble @ArvindKejriwal, Thiru @SitaramYechury and all the opposition leaders for strongly condemning the undemocratic ED raid unleashed by Union BJP Government at Tamil Nadu Secretariat and offending the…

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) June 13, 2023

What is the case against Balaji?

The money laundering case pertains to the job scam under the AIADMK rule. The Minister was named as an accused in the scam that reportedly took place between 2011 and 2015. He was the Transport Minister of TN during the said period in Jayalalithaa's cabinet. Crores of rupees were allegedly taken from candidates in return for jobs that were promised but never confirmed. Later, Balaji quit the AIADMK after former chief minister J Jayalalitha’s death in 2016 and joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in December 2018.