NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Enforcement Directorate on the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested last year in connection with a money laundering case.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the agency and directed it to file reply by April 29.
Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram, aappearing for Balaji, told the apex court that the HC order had denied him bail, and it directed that the trial be completed within 3 months. He contended that both aspects of the order were being challenged and prayed to the top court that besides issuing notice, the Court may stay the last line of the order, which the SC refused.
The Madras High Court on February 28, while dismissing the bail petition, had said that if he is let out on bail in a case of this nature, it will send a wrong signal and that it will be against the larger public interest.
Balaji had then moved the Supreme Court for bail, but so far he was denied any relief in the case so far.
The former Tamil Nadu minister was arrested on June 14 last year by the ED in connection with a money laundering case related to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. The ED alleged that he is involved in corruption.
The ED also filed a 1000-page charge sheet against Balaji last year in the case.
On the other hand, Balaji claimed innocence in the case and said that the ED has not identified the proceeds of crime against him and its main evidence relies on information from the predicate offence.
(With inputs from PTI)
