SC to hear on bail plea of TN ex-minister Senthil Balaji in PMLA case on April 1

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on April 1 the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last year in connection with a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan is scheduled to hear Balaji's plea challenging the February 28 order of the Madras High Court dismissing his second bail petition in the case.

The high court, while dismissing the bail petition, said that if he is let out on bail in a case of this nature, it will send a wrong signal and it will be against larger public interest.

It said the petitioner has suffered incarceration for more than eight months and therefore, it will be more appropriate to direct the special court to dispose of the case within a time frame.

"Accordingly, there shall be a direction to the Principal Special Court, Chennai, to dispose of the case within a period of three months from the date of receipt of copy of this order," it had ordered.

The high court ordered that the trial shall be conducted on a day-to-day basis in accordance with the guidelines given by the top court.

Balaji was arrested on June 14 last year by the ED 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.

The ED had on August 12 last year filed a 3,000-page charge sheet against Balaji.

The high court had on October 19 dismissed Balaji's earlier bail plea. A local court also dismissed his bail petitions thrice.