SC urges urgent disposal of cases against newly appointed minister Senthil Balaji

SC urges urgent disposal of cases against newly appointed minister Senthil Balaji

01.10.2024

Senthil Balaji, 48, was sworn in minister on Sunday and was assigned the same portfolios of ‘electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise,’ that he had held previously in chief minister M K Stalin’s cabinet. 

The SC bench said the report submitted by the special judge indicates that he has 29 cases with him. In many cases, the trial has begun while in several others the trial is yet to begin. “The case which is the subject matter of this application has more than 2,000 accused and around 600 prosecution witnesses. 

Looking at the allegations which have been made at the charge sheet, the case requires urgent disposal.” The bench directed the registry to forward the copy of the order to the Madras high court registrar general to be placed before the chief justice for necessary action. SC said the Madras high court chief justice should entrust the case to the session judge, who is not burdened with other cases and directed the registrar general to submit a report on the next date of hearing. 

Senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Guru Krishnakumar, appearing for complainants, said Balaji was granted bail last week and now he has been made a minister. “Now it is more imperative to transfer the case outside the state. He is now a minister. We should have asked the court to impose a bail condition that he should not be made a minister,” Sanakaranarayanan said. The bench said it is a political aspect in which the court cannot do much. Krishnakumar said Balaji should be removed from the ministership. “You file an application and we will look into it,” the bench said and listed the matter for Oct 22. 

SC asks HC CJ to name another judge for Senthil Balaji case trial New Delhi : Supreme Court on Monday asked the Madras high court chief justice to appoint another judge for trial of a case related to TN minister V Senthil Balaji, who was granted bail last week in a money laundering case related to an alleged cash-for-job scam. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, which went through the report of a judge of a special court dealing with cases related to MPs and MLAs of TN, said he has 29 cases with him. “Considering the number of cases entrusted to the special judge, it would be appropriate that the chief justice of Madras high court appoint one session judge to deal with this case,” SC ordered.