Ex-Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji granted anticipatory bail

CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji, a loyalist of sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, was today granted anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court in connection with a cheating case registered against him by the Central Crime Branch.

Granting the relief, Justice N Authinathan directed Balaji to appear before the investigating officer of the CCB here at 9 am daily until further orders.

In his petition, Balaji submitted that he was one the 18 MLAs disqualified by the state assembly speaker.

"The present government perceives that I'm against the government and seeks to wreak vengeance against me," he had alleged.

The CCB has registered a case against Balaji for various offences under the IPC, including cheating and criminal breach of trust, following a court order on a complaint by one Ganesh Kumar who sought registration of an FIR against him.

The complainant had alleged that he paid money to a relative of Balaji, when he was the transport minister, following an assurance of a job in the State Transport Corporation.

Balaji had submitted that he was not a minister from July 29, 2015 and the complaint was given after 23 months. Besides, he did not know the complainant.