Chennai: The Chennai High Court has ordered the Enforcement Directorate to file a reply in the case filed by Minister Senthil Balaji seeking bail. At the same time, it also raised questions about his continued tenure as a minister.
Minister Senthil Balaji was arrested under the Unlawful Money Transfer Prohibition Act. On the 12th, the Madras Principal Sessions Court rejected his bail plea. Subsequently, the bail petition filed in the High Court came up for hearing yesterday before Justice Anand Venkatesh.
On behalf of Minister Senthil Balaji, senior lawyer Auriyama Sundaram appeared and said, “In this case, the investigation has been completed. The documents are in possession of the Enforcement Directorate. “The accused in the case cannot be denied bail on the ground that he is absconding,” he said.
Subsequently, Justice Anand Venkatesh said, “The arrested minister, Senthil Balaji, is in jail. The ‘Division Bench’ had already commented on his continuing as a minister. If a government servant is in jail for 48 hours, he will be suspended. But what message do you want to convey to the people by allowing Senthil Balaji, who has been in jail for over 230 days, to continue as a minister? If a judge is involved in a criminal case, can he be allowed to continue as a judge?” he questioned.
To that, senior advocate Ariyama Sundaram said, “A resolution of impeachment has been recommended against a judge of the Allahabad High Court. His continuance in office was appealed to the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For that, those who are interested can appear before him, the Chief Justice said. He also continued as a judge. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition seeking the removal of Senthil Balaji from the post of minister. “The court cannot order the removal of the minister,” he said.
Subsequently, the judge ordered the enforcement department to respond to the bail plea. He adjourned the hearing to February 14.