THE SUPREME COURT TODAY issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (‘ED’) on a petition by former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji, who has sought a relaxation of the bail conditions imposed on him in the money laundering case connected to the cash-for-jobs scandal.
A Bench of Chief Justice-designate Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the ED to clarify whether Balaji’s continued appearance before the agency still required in pursuance of the conditions laid down while granting him bail on September 26, 2024, by the top Court.
During the proceedings, the ED opposed any dilution of the bail conditions. The agency submitted that the earlier Bench was fully aware of the strict conditions it was prescribing, and that those very conditions had facilitated an uninterrupted and smooth trial.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Balaji, countered that the investigation is complete and a complaint has already been filed, making the ED’s opposition “purely adversarial.” He stressed that Balaji has cooperated fully, pointing out that he has appeared before the agency 116 times and has never attempted to evade the process of law.
The Supreme Court had granted Balaji bail on September 26, 2024.
