Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday dismissed as withdrawn a revision petition filed by Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, challenging a principal sessions court order dismissing his plea to defer the trial in the money-laundering case.
A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman passed the order while permitting the minister's request to withdraw the revision petition.
In March, another division bench of the court refused to stay the commencement of the trial in the money-laundering case registered against Senthil Balaji until the disposal of the case registered for the predicate offence. According to the minister, the special court for money laundering cases must defer the commencement of the trial until the disposal of the case for the predicate offence.
He argued that it would be a grave injustice if the accused gets convicted in the money laundering case and later gets acquitted in the case for the predicate offence. The Supreme Court has made it clear that if a person is acquitted in the case for the predicate offence, then the money laundering case initiated on the basis of the predicate offence would not survive.
"It would amount to putting the cart before the horse. The clock cannot be put back if he is convicted and sent to jail and subsequently gets acquitted in the case for the predicate offence," the minister said.
On June 14, 2023, Senthil Balaji was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).