The Madras High Court on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, refused to grant bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji in a money laundering case, in which he was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on June 14 last year, after observing that he continues to wield a lot of influence on the State government.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh dismissed the bail petition but directed the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai to complete the trial within three months by conducting the proceedings on a day-to-day basis, since the petitioner has been in jail for more than 250 days.
The judge agreed with Additional Solicitor-General AR.L. Sundaresan, assisted by Special Public Prosecutor N. Ramesh for ED cases, that the petitioner had resigned from the Cabinet just a day before the hearing of the present bail petition early this month and not before that.
