Senthil Balaji Arrest LIVE Updates: Tamil Nadu Minister Sent to 14-day Judicial Custody; DMK Allies Call 'Massive Protest'

Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu Minister Ma Subramanian was quoted as saying by ANI, “Annamalai lost the last assembly election in Aravakurichi. Tamil Nadu’s people won’t ever accept BJP in the state. But Annamalai thought Senthil Balaji was the reason for his loss. He is now taking revenge on him.”

Tamil Nadu Minister Ma Subramanian told media, “Senthil Balaji’s arrest is a murder of democracy. This has been done to corner DMK, before Parliament elections. No procedures were followed in the arrest. BJP is trying to create a fake narrative that DMK is a corrupt party. They are trying to do this, with the help of institutions like ED. In Patna, there is a united opposition party meeting. BJP is doing this out of nervousness.”

Speaking to the media after Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji was sent to 14-day judicial custody, state minister Ma Subramanian was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, “Senthil Balaji was said to be the reason for DMK’s massive win in western Tamil Nadu. Even in the local body election, he had a significant role. Fearing that they (BJP) would get less votes than NOTA if Senthil Balaji works in Parliament election, they are doing these searches.”

Tamil Nadu electricity minister V Senthil Balaji has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In a remand petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chennai Principal District Judge S Alli has decided to visit Omandurar government hospital to inquire about the Tamil Nadu minister, who was admitted after he complained of uneasiness.

Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was seen “weeping in pain” inside a car after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), underwent coronary angiogram on Wednesday morning. The Chennai hospital, where he is admitted, advised him CABG-bypass surgery ‘at the earliest as the angiogram revealed triple vessel disease. Read More

The Congress has condemned the arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate, and alleged it was nothing but “political harassment and vendetta” by the Modi government. “Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemns the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji by the ED. This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi government against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves. Such gross misuse of investigative agencies against political opponents has been the hallmark of the Modi government,” the Congress said in a statement.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday said Tamil Nadu CM and DMK leader MK Stalin himself raised the job scam issue when Senthil Balaji, who has been arrested over the same, was not in his party.

“When Senthil Balaji was not in DMK, this issue [of jobs scam] was raised by [CM] MK Stalin himself. At that time, they were at the foremost to raise this cash-for-job scam,” news agency PTI quoted BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla as saying on Senthil Balaji’s arrest by ED in a money laundering case.

Arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji underwent coronary angiogram and has been advised bypass surgery at the “earliest”, the hospital treating him said on Wednesday. The Electricity Minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case earlier in the day.

Balaji “underwent coronary angiogram at 10.40 am” on June 14, a medical bulletin issued by the Director of the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Estate, said. “Coronory angiogram revealed triple vessel disease for which CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) – bypass surgery is advised at the earliest,” it said.

About the case in which Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Senthil Balaji has been arrested:

The Supreme Court in May allowed police and ED to investigate an alleged cash-for-jobs scam against the DMK strongman.

Balaji was the transport minister in the AIADMK government, led by the late J Jayalalithaa, in 2011-15. It was alleged that he received kickbacks from various persons for appointing them as drivers and conductors in the transport corporations.

Three FIRs were registered against Balaji and later charge sheets were filed against him, which were pending before a special court for the trial of criminal cases connected to MPs and MLAs.

The ED registered a PMLA case against Balaji and others in July 2021 and took up the investigation.

Madras High Court justice R Sakthivel has recused from the Bench hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Megala, wife of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji.

Senthil Balaji was admitted to the hospital after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case. He underwent Coronary Angiogram today and has been advised a bypass surgery by the hospital “at the earliest”.

The day ED arrests Senthil Balaji, he has to be removed from the post of minister, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai said on Wednesday on DMK leader’s arrest in a money laundering case.

“A month ago, we submitted a memorandum to the Governor that Senthil Balaji should be removed from the minister’s post. It is the CM’s ego that is keeping him, despite the Supreme Court’s direction to TN police to file a chargesheet against Senthil Balaji,” news agency ANI quoted Annamalai as saying.

Not removing him from the minister’s post is an affront to the principle of natural justice, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai added.

Amid row over his alleged remarks against late AIADMK stalwart J Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Wednesday said he holds ” Madam Jayalalithaa in the highest respect”, adding that his comments have been misinterpretated.

“I hold Madam Jayalalithaa in the highest respect. Multiple times I have spoken about her life, how taking on DMK as a woman she came all the way up. Nowhere I had mentioned her (on alleged corruption in Tamil Nadu) or alluded to her. It’s a clear case of misinterpretation. My fight against corruption will go on,” Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said.

AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami on Tuesday slammed Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai for his alleged remarks against late party stalwart J Jayalalithaa, amid strain in ties between the two southern allies.

As an irate AIADMK general secretary lashed out at Annamalai for the latter’s “irresponsible and immature” remark, accusing him of casting aspersions on late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa with an ulterior motive, Annamalai retorted saying corruption is the major problem in Tamil Nadu politics.

The constituents of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) lashed out at the ruling BJP at the Centre for the ED action and announced a massive public meeting in Coimbatore on Friday to protest against it over the issue.

A joint statement from SPA leaders including TNCC president K S Alagiri and state secretaries of CPI and CPI (M), R Mutharasan and K Balakrishnan, respectively and VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan slammed the “anti-people” BJP-led NDA and said it has not done anything for the people in the last nine years in office.

Prime Minister Modi, while delivering a virtual address after distributing around 70,000 appointment letters at Rozgar Mela today, mentioned some states where the candidates need to pay for a government job. The PM was referring to a report by News18 about an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate blowing the lid off a cash-for-job scam in West Bengal. Significantly, this is the second scam in recruitment for government jobs in the state.

Hours after the PM mentioned recruitment scams in his speech, V Senthil Balaji, a senior cabinet minister in the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday after a marathon interrogation in connection with a money laundering and job racket case.

The central agencies are probing into similar recruitment scams in Tamil Nadu too. In 2022, the ED arrested Partha Chatterjee, West Bengal’s former education minister in connection with the teacher recruitment scam. The ED has now summoned the state’s education secretary too. READ MORE

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted to Senthil Balaji’s arrest and said, “We condemn the way they treated the minister. According to medical reports, three of his arteries are blocked and he needs a bypass surgery. The way he was treated, the Central government and agencies should think about their behavior.”

Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai on Wednesday said that CM and DMK supremo MK Stalin himself had called Senthil Balaji a corrupt person in 2016, when Balaji was in AIADMK.

“In 2016, when MK Stalin was the opposition leader, he went to Senthil Balaji’s house and also said that Balaji is a corrupt person in this case. In 2018, after S Balaji joined DMK, CM is saying that he is innocent. In 2016, when I-T Dept raided TN Chief Secy’s office, MK Stalin welcomed it. Now, CM says ED entering Secretariat is an affront on federalism is nonsensical,” said Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on ED action against state minister V Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case.

Slamming BJP after state minister V Senthil Balaji’s hospitalisation post his arrest in a money laundering case, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin asked why was his minister being “tortured” despite assuring cooperation.

“Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on state minister V Senthil Balaji – Till 2 am, they kept pressuring him and then took him to the hospital. Now he’s admitted to ICU. Even after he said that he will cooperate in the investigation, why did they torture him? We can clearly see the wrong intentions of those who sent these officials. They acted in an inhuman manner,” CM Stalin said.

“DMK will not be afraid of this kind of intimidation by BJP. People will teach them a lesson in 2024,” Stalin added.

The Supreme Court in May allowed police and ED to investigate an alleged cash-for-jobs scam against the DMK strongman.

Balaji was the transport minister in the AIADMK government, led by the late J Jayalalithaa, in 2011-15. It was alleged that he received kickbacks from various persons for appointing them as drivers and conductors in the transport corporations.

Three FIRs were registered against Balaji and later charge sheets were filed against him, which were pending before a special court for the trial of criminal cases connected to MPs and MLAs.

The ED registered a PMLA case against Balaji and others in July 2021 and took up the investigation. READ MORE

While hospital suggested immediate bypass surgery for Senthil Balaji, Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday said the DMK leader is “doing drama now.”

“When our leader and former minister Jayakumar was arrested, he was imprisoned for 20 days. He was not even permitted to take medicines. Senthil Balaji is doing drama now. As a moral responsibility, should resign from his minister post,” Palaniswami said.