Chennai, Feb 28:
The Madras High Court today dismissed the bail plea of Tamil Nadu former minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case. Court decided the matter on merit and directed the trial court to proceed with the trial on a daily basis and conclude it within a three-month timeframe
The bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the order after hearing Senior Counsel C Aryama Sundaram for the imprisoned former minister and Additional Solicitor General AR. L. Sundaresan for the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The court heard the arguments raised by both sides at length before reserving its judgment.
On February 14, the Senior Counsel for the former minister alleged that the digital evidence presented by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to assert charges of money laundering against Senthil Balaji was questionable. He claimed that hard disks and pen drives allegedly recovered by ED had been fabricated.
He asserted that the agency is saying that it will prove the authenticity of the evidence during trial but the same could not be accepted to keep the former minister inside jail.
Contending that the agency opposed the bail plea on the basis of Senthil Balaji’s influence as a minister, the Senior Counsel had then asserted that his resignation from the post opened the possibility for relief, particularly given the completed investigation.
On the other hand, on February 16, Additional Solicitor General AR. L. Sundaresan for the ED submitted that there had been no manipulation of digital evidence as was being alleged.
