Minister Senthil Balaji to Receive First Class Treatment in Puzhal Jail
Chennai, [Date]— Minister Senthil Balaji, who was recently arrested by the enforcement department in connection with an illegal money transfer case, will be accommodated in a first-class room in Puzhal Jail. In addition, he will receive necessary medical treatment while serving his sentence.
Last month, Minister Senthil Balaji was taken into custody by enforcement officials following allegations of involvement in an illegal money transfer scheme. However, on the day of his arrest, he was admitted to the hospital due to a medical condition. Subsequent tests revealed that he had a blockage in his heart. As a result, Senthil Balaji underwent heart surgery while receiving treatment at Cauvery Hospital.
Despite his medical issues, the Madras Principal Sessions Court ordered Minister Senthil Balaji to be remanded in judicial custody shortly after his arrest. However, due to his health condition, he was unable to be interrogated during his judicial custody. The court has continually extended his custody, and it is now set to last until July 26.
Meanwhile, Minister Senthil Balaji’s wife, Megala, filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court, claiming that his arrest was illegal. However, a two-judge bench dismissed the petition, ruling that his arrest and judicial custody were legal. The matter was subsequently brought before a third judge, Karthikeyan, who upheld the earlier verdict.
Following the High Court’s decision, the Enforcement Department is now planning to take Minister Senthil Balaji into custody for further investigation. Consequently, he was discharged from Chennai Cauvery Hospital and immediately transferred to Puzhal Jail, as per the court’s orders. Since Senthil Balaji is an MLA and a minister, he has been allotted a first-class room in the jail, offering a higher level of comfort and privacy compared to other inmates.
In the first-class section, Senthil Balaji will receive the same facilities as a Class A prisoner. These include a cot, pillow, extra lighting, reading materials such as magazines, and food as prescribed by the doctor. While all prisoners in the jail are eligible to receive fruits and snacks twice a week during visitations, they generally consume common prison food.
It is worth noting that the food system in Puzhal Jail underwent changes last month. On June 5, Law Minister Raghupathi introduced a new food system, altering the quantity of food provided to inmates. The revision increased the daily food budget for ‘A’ category jailers from Rs 146.44 to Rs 207.89.
For instance, ‘B’ section jailers are currently served tea at 6:30 am, followed by wheat salted rice with two types of chutney, Pongal with chutney, tomato rice, egg, lemon rice, and mint rice at 7 am. At 11:30 am, the inmates are served dishes such as gravy, rasam, engineering (a type of curry), and chicken curry on Sundays and Wednesdays. Tea, sundal, and peanuts are served at 3 pm, and dinner consists of chapati, rice, and sambar at 4:30 pm. ‘A’ category jail inmates are further treated to chicken dishes on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Notably, since the High Court has ruled that the period spent in the hospital should not be considered as part of Minister Senthil Balaji’s judicial custody, his actual imprisonment will commence from the day he enters Puzhal Jail. It is common practice to apply for bail after spending a few days in jail. However, in Minister Senthil Balaji’s case, bail will only be considered once the enforcement department completes its investigations, ensuring a thorough examination of the allegations against him.