Supreme Court Grants Bail to V Senthil Balaji After 471 Days in Jail
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 26: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji. Stalin criticized the central government, stating that only the Supreme Court could bring justice amidst political oppression. He praised Balaji’s sacrifice and determination.
Stalin compared Balaji’s jail time to the Emergency period, noting that even then, jail terms were not as long. He accused the central government of trying to break Balaji’s spirit by imprisoning him for 471 days. In a post on social media, Stalin expressed his support for Balaji, calling him a brother and commending his resilience.
The Supreme Court granted bail to Balaji in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam. Earlier, the Madras High Court had dismissed his bail petition. DMK MP and Advocate NR Elango explained that the Supreme Court imposed conditions for Balaji’s bail, including appearing before the Enforcement Directorate twice a week, not tampering with witnesses, and surrendering his passport.
Balaji was arrested on June 14 for his alleged involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Tamil Nadu Transport Minister in the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2015. He joined the DMK in December 2018 and became the electricity minister in May 2021.
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Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who has been arrested is allowed to go home while they wait for their trial. They might have to follow certain rules.
V Senthil Balaji -: V Senthil Balaji is a politician from Tamil Nadu. He was a minister in the state government.
471 Days -: 471 days is a little over one year and three months. It is the time V Senthil Balaji spent in jail.
Tamil Nadu -: Tamil Nadu is a state in the southern part of India. It has its own government and Chief Minister.
Chief Minister MK Stalin -: MK Stalin is the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the leader of the state government.
Political oppression -: Political oppression means using power unfairly to control or punish people, often for their political beliefs.
Cash-for-jobs scam -: A cash-for-jobs scam is when people pay money to get jobs illegally. It is against the law.
AIADMK government -: AIADMK is a political party in Tamil Nadu. V Senthil Balaji was a minister when this party was in power.
Enforcement Directorate -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India. It investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Passport -: A passport is a document that allows people to travel to other countries. Surrendering it means giving it to the authorities so the person cannot leave the country.
