CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a former official of the Metro Transport Corporation (MTC) seeking to quash the order of the principal sessions court and special court for cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The order had taken cognisance of the supplementary prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against 13 persons, including himself, in connection with the money laundering case registered on trails of the cash-for-jobs scam in the MTC. Former minister V Senthil Balaji is the main accused in the scam and the money laundering cases.
The petition was filed by G Ganesan, who had served as deputy manager (personnel) with the MTC during the relevant time. He was named as an accused in the money laundering case through the supplementary complaint along with 12 others.
His contention was that the special court had taken cognisance of the supplementary complaint in the absence of sanction under Section 197 of CrPC/Section 218 of BNSS without affording him an opportunity of being heard before taking cognisance under Section 223 (1) of the BNSS.
The supplementary complaint was taken on file on March 26, 2025, by the special court and the petitioner is named as the fifth accused. The complaint alleged that he had manipulated the selection in the appointment and had kept Rs 12.50 lakh, which is alleged to be the proceeds of crime generated through the cash for job scam, safely at his house.
A division bench comprising justices M S Ramesh and V Lakshminarayanan dismissed the petition on Monday.
It said that the ED had continued the investigation, even after filing the complaint, and had obtained certain materials thereafter, which constrained it to file an additional complaint against a fresh set of persons who have not been originally named in the complaint.
It also held that once the initial complaint is taken cognisance by following due procedure, the special court need not hear the parties before taking cognisance of subsequent complaints.