NEW DELHI: In a major relief to former minister and DMK leader V Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court on Friday in its order granted anticipatory bail to him in the case over alleged corruption in Tasmac.
The former minister, Balaji had on Thursday moved the top court by filing an appeal challenging the Madras High Court’s dismissal of his anticipatory bail plea in the fresh case. The bench had yesterday agreed to urgently hear it and thereby listed today.
A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi imposed several conditions that Balaji should cooperate with the investigation, surrender his passport and not tamper with witnesses.
Strictly warning the state, Justice Bagchi told senior advocate Guru Krishnakumar, appearing for the Tamil Nadu govt, "You (State) immediately come to us even if there is slightest breach in bail conditions. We will modify or cancel our orders."
The Madras HC on Thursday in its order refused 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.
Balaji, former electricity, prohibition, and excise minister in the previous DMK government, had filed the anticipatory bail application in the HC fearing arrest in the FIR registered on July 28, 2026, by the DVAC.
Soon after the HC setback, senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of Balaji jad in Thursday requested the Supreme Court bench led by CJI 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 had submitted.
Hearing these submissions, the top court agreed to hear the appeal of Senthil Balaji on Friday.
The 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 32.81 crore in Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South and the Nilgiris district during 2022-23.
In the HC, senior counsel N R Elango, appearing for Senthil 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 Supreme Court had issued an interim stay against the Enforcement Directorate’s proceedings on the issue.
Also, in another development, the Tamil Nadu government has appointed a Special Public Prosecutor to expeditiously handle the trial against the DMK leader in the cash-for-jobs scam, the state government told the Supreme Court on Thursday. The TVK government informed the court that over 2,000 accused are involved in the case.
