The Enforcement Directorate arrested Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji on Wednesday morning in connection with a money-laundering investigation. The arrest came after an 18-hour interrogation at Senthil Balaji’s home in Chennai.
On Tuesday, Balaji claimed that he was out for a morning walk when the raids began. During their two-week search, the necessary documentation had already been provided to the Income Tax (I-T) department.
Details Of The Arrest Of The Minister
Senthil Balaji was taken in a car to the Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, following the interrogation.
Following his arrest, the ED would likely take Balaji to a special court and request his custody later that day. P.K. Sekar Babu, a ministerial colleague of Balaji’s, expressed worry for his well-being, claiming that he had been tortured.
Babu informed reporters that Balaji had been brought to an Intensive Care Unit and was unconscious and unresponsive when his name was called. He further stated that there was edema near Balaji’s ear and that physicians noticed changes in his electrocardiogram (ECG) that could indicate torture.
Money Laundering Charges On Senthil Balaji
The charges against Balaji date back to his time as transport minister in the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015. Candidates allegedly paid substantial sums of money in exchange for promised job positions. Despite the suspected bribery, however, many candidates did not receive the promised jobs.
After the death of previous Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha in 2016, Balaji resigned from the AIADMK and joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in December 2018.
The Supreme Court granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) permission to continue its money laundering investigations into the alleged scheme in May, reversing a previous order issued by the Madras High Court in 2022.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji breaks down as ED officials took him into custody in connection with a money laundering case and brought him to Omandurar Government in Chennai for medical examination pic.twitter.com/aATSM9DQpu
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2023
A DMK leader, R.S. Bharathi, questioned whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was especially targeting Balaji because of a 15-minute power outage on June 10 while Union Home Minister Amit Shah was at the Chennai airport. He related the raids to Shah’s visit to the state and speculated on an ulterior reason.
Bharathi further described the raids as a diversionary technique. This is because the AIADMK, the BJP’s ally, was apparently threatening to split the coalition.
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