Title: High Court to Decide on Bail Plea Jurisdiction for Minister Senthil Balaji
Date: [Insert Date]
Location: Chennai
The bail plea of Minister Senthil Balaji, who was arrested under the Unlawful Money Transfer Act, remains in limbo as the jurisdictional issue surrounding the case is yet to be clarified. Following the filing of a 3,000-page case file and a 120-page chargesheet against Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate, a question arose regarding the appropriate court to hear the bail petition.
On August 28, a special court, designated to handle cases involving Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), handed over the case files to Senthil Balaji. Later that day, the minister filed a bail petition. However, the special court stated, “As the case has been registered under the Special Act, Prohibition of Unlawful Money Transfer Act, this court has no jurisdiction to hear the bail petition; the petitioner can approach the District Principal Sessions Court seeking bail.”
Consequently, a bail petition was filed in the Chennai District Principal Sessions Court on behalf of Senthil Balaji. However, the petition did not come up for hearing on the scheduled date, prompting his lawyers to approach the Sessions Court. Surprisingly, the Sessions Court stated that the bail petition should be heard by the special court. The lawyers received a copy of the order issued by Judge S. Alli from Senthil Balaji’s party, verifying that the petition should be filed there.
To progress the case, Senthil Balaji’s lawyers Arun and Baranikumar submitted the order to the Special Court for consideration. However, the judge expressed the need for a clear explanation regarding the jurisdiction of the special court to hear bail petitions for cases registered under the Prohibition of Unlawful Money Transfer Act. He suggested that approaching the High Court to obtain a proper explanation would be necessary before deciding to hear the bail petition.
Meanwhile, Senthil Balaji’s lawyers made an appeal to the special court on behalf of their client, requesting permission for journalists to witness the proceedings. However, permission was denied, as reporters were not allowed inside the court premises by the police and court staff.
The unresolved jurisdictional issue has further delayed the proceedings of Senthil Balaji’s bail plea. Until clarity is obtained from the High Court, the case remains in a state of uncertainty.