The Supreme Court today granted bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who has been in jail since June 2023 in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the alleged scam took place between 2011 and 2015, when Mr Balaji was the Tamil Nadu transport minister under the AIADMK government led by the late J Jayalalithaa.
Mr Balaji was arrested by the ED in connection with the alleged scam in June 2023 when he was the electricity minister under Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK. He was taken into custody after being questioned for hours and was hospitalised after complaining of chest pain.
The ED had on August 12 last year filed a 3,000-page charge sheet against Balaji.
On October 19, the high court had dismissed Balaji’s earlier bail plea. A local court has also dismissed his bail petitions thrice.