NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to hear on Friday an appeal of former minister and DMK leader V Senthil Balaji challenging the Madras High Court’s dismissal of his anticipatory bail plea in the case over alleged corruption in Tasmac.
The top court development came hot on the heels of the high court’s refusal to grant him pre-arrest bail in the case registered by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on the loss of Rs 32.81 crore caused to the exchequer due to alleged irregularities committed in the Tasmac’s retail liquor business.
Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan of the Madras HC held that custodial interrogation is necessary in the case considering the large-scale corruption and the allegations that the official positions have been abused through a conspiracy to commit irregularities.
Senthil Balaji, former electricity, prohibition, and excise minister in the previous DMK government, had filed the anticipatory bail application in the high court fearing arrest in the FIR registered on July 28, 2026, by DVAC.
Soon after the high court setback, senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of Senthil Balaji requested the SC bench led by CJI Surya Kant to list it and hear the matter urgently on the ground that the DMK leader was facing imminent coercive action.
“We have filed an appeal against the HC order, which was passed today at 10.30 am. We have filed the SLP. Please consider and give us an urgent hearing,” Sibal submitted.
Hearing these submissions, the top court agreed to hear the appeal of Senthil Balaji on Friday. “List it tomorrow,” the CJI said.
DVAC had on Tuesday registered the FIR against Senthil Balaji, S Visakan, former managing director of Tasmac, T Rama Durai Murugan, former senior regional manager, R Panneerselvam, former senior regional manager, and three others along with distillery/brewery companies, transport firms, bottling companies and unknown public servants of Tasmac and others.
The main charges against them include misappropriation, manipulation of procurement and tender processes in allotting bar licences, transport tenders, as well as bogus and inflated transactions by certain distilleries/breweries and bottling firms resulting in a loss of Rs 32.8 crore in Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South and the Nilgiris during 2022-23.
In the HC, senior counsel N R Elango, appearing for Balaji, submitted that Tasmac is an independent firm and his client had no influence or role in awarding tenders, and the FIR was registered due to political animosity. He also said the SC had issued an interim stay against the ED’s proceedings in the issue.
State Public Prosecutor R John Sathyan explained that the SC’s interim stay was with respect to the liquor retail entity and not against the petitioner. Stating that substantial materials have been unearthed by the investigating agency, he said the actual amount of loss to the exchequer could be around Rs 100 crore.
In another development, the state government has appointed a special public prosecutor to expeditiously handle the trial against the DMK leader in the cash-for-jobs scam, the state told the SC on Thursday.
Poaching case: Balaji skips appearance
Chennai: V Senthil Balaji failed to appear before the Triplicane police station on Thursday, despite a Madras HC direction requiring him to report twice daily in the alleged TVK MLA poaching case. Police said they were verifying the reason for his absence and would decide on further legal action if he continued to violate the bail conditions. When TNIE contacted Balaji’s legal counsel, he said that he was in New Delhi and was not aware of the situation in Chennai.