<p>A local court on Wednesday extended till August 8 the judicial custody of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. </p>.<p>Balaji, who is lodged at the Puzhal Central Prison, appeared before the judge via video conferencing. This is the third time Balaji’s judicial custody has been extended by the court. </p>.<p>Balaji was shifted to the Puzhal Central Prison on July 17 after his discharge from a private hospital - which came three days after a third judge of the Madras High Court dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife S Megala questioning the ED’s powers to take him in police custody. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/bjp-working-overtime-to-destroy-democracy-stalin-1241010.html">BJP working overtime to destroy democracy: Stalin</a></strong></p>.<p>The third judge was appointed after a division bench delivered a split verdict. </p>.<p>Balaji, who is now a minister without portfolio in Chief Minister M K Stalin’s cabinet, was arrested by the ED on June 14 in the alleged cash-for-job scam during his 2011-2015 tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK cabinet led by J Jayalalithaa. </p>.<p>Balaji’s arrest by the ED also led to a major political controversy in Tamil Nadu with Governor R N Ravi “dismissing” him from the Council of Ministers, only to put on abeyance his decision within a few hours. The Governor’s action came after Stalin refused to drop Balaji from the cabinet, arguing that mere registration of a case doesn’t make anyone guilty. </p>.<p>Stalin, while “disregarding” the communication from the Governor, said only the CM has the right to induct or dismiss a minister.</p>
<p>A local court on Wednesday extended till August 8 the judicial custody of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. </p>.<p>Balaji, who is lodged at the Puzhal Central Prison, appeared before the judge via video conferencing. This is the third time Balaji’s judicial custody has been extended by the court. </p>.<p>Balaji was shifted to the Puzhal Central Prison on July 17 after his discharge from a private hospital - which came three days after a third judge of the Madras High Court dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife S Megala questioning the ED’s powers to take him in police custody. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/bjp-working-overtime-to-destroy-democracy-stalin-1241010.html">BJP working overtime to destroy democracy: Stalin</a></strong></p>.<p>The third judge was appointed after a division bench delivered a split verdict. </p>.<p>Balaji, who is now a minister without portfolio in Chief Minister M K Stalin’s cabinet, was arrested by the ED on June 14 in the alleged cash-for-job scam during his 2011-2015 tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK cabinet led by J Jayalalithaa. </p>.<p>Balaji’s arrest by the ED also led to a major political controversy in Tamil Nadu with Governor R N Ravi “dismissing” him from the Council of Ministers, only to put on abeyance his decision within a few hours. The Governor’s action came after Stalin refused to drop Balaji from the cabinet, arguing that mere registration of a case doesn’t make anyone guilty. </p>.<p>Stalin, while “disregarding” the communication from the Governor, said only the CM has the right to induct or dismiss a minister.</p>