CHENNAI : Former minister V Senthil Balaji filed a fresh petition in the Principal Sessions and Special Court for PMLA cases seeking to discharge him from the money-laundering case stating the complaint against him is devoid of merits.
The discharge petition was filed on Friday, a day after the principal sessions court dismissed his petition to defer the trial until the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Greater Chennai Police completes the probe into the predicate offence of cash-for-jobs scam.
The petition stated the complaint filed by ED is frivolous and devoid of merit and does not reveal the actual facts and so it is liable for suppression and falsification of facts.
Pointing out the case was registered on the basis of the case pending against him in the special court for MP/MLAs, the petition claimed he was, as a minister then, neither the appointing authority nor had any role as an appointing authority.
“The appointing authorities are categorised based on the posts, the managing director of the board or the general manager or the persons delegated with the powers. While this being the case, the predicted crime against him has no basis for formation of a crime. The entire case was foisted against the petitioner to wreak vengeance,” it alleged.
It added there is no material on record to show Senthil Balaji directly or indirectly attempted to indulge or knowingly assisted or knowingly was a party to a process of activity connected with the proceeds of the crime. The ED’s allegations are absolutely vague and there are no reasonable grounds to believe he would be found guilty of money laundering, the petition said.
The Principal Sessions Court extended the judicial custody of Senthil Balaji till February 20.
Meanwhile, senior counsel S Prabhakaran made a mention before a division bench of Madras High Court consisting of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan requesting to take a revision petition against the dismissal of petition seeking deferment of trial as an urgent matter.
The bench refused to take it as an urgent matter but told him it would be taken up once listed through the regular course.