Chennai: A sessions court would frame charges on July 22 in a money laundering case against former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the ED last year.
Principal Sessions Judge S Alli directed the prosecution to produce the DMK leader in person before the court on that day for framing of charges.
When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, Balaji was produced before the court by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the Central Puzhal Prison here. The judge extended his remand till July 22. Balaji's judicial custody was also extended till July 22.
Meanwhile, the judge dismissed a petition filed by Balaji, which sought to discharge him from the case.
The judge also dismissed two other new petitions filed by him. In one petition, he sought to send the "Relied Upon Documents No.16 and 17"-- certain bank challans, to the Tamil Nadu Forensic Sciences Laboratory for ascertaining its genuinity. In the other one, he sought to re-open the arguments in the discharge petition, on his side, which was closed in March this year.
Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime.
Published 18 July 2024, 16:35 IST