New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its judgment on the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2023, in connection with a money laundering case. A bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih reserved the judgment after hearing detailed submissions by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra, representing Balaji.
During the hearing, Rohatgi argued that his client had been in jail for more than a year and there was no possibility of completion of trial anytime soon, and his client had also undergone surgery. Rohatgi said the allegations are that Balaji is influential, but now he is no longer holding the portfolio. Mehta opposed the grant of bail to the DMK leader and said the delay in trial is attributable to the ex-minister. Rohatgi said the case involves thousands of witnesses and there is no threat of witnesses or tampering of evidence and insisted that his client is no longer a minister.