The arrested Minister, V. Senthilbalaji, was scheduled to undergo a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on June 18. However, he requested the doctors to postpone it to June 21 in order to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which had obtained permission for his custodial interrogation at the hospital, senior counsel N.R. Elango claimed before the Madras High Court on Wednesday.
This submission was made before Justice C.V. Karthikeyan, the third judge hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the Minister’s wife Megala following a split verdict by two judges of a Division Bench on July 4. It led to a bustle in the court hall with Solicitor- General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor-General AR.L. Sundaresan vehemently opposing the claim and contending that there was no material to prove such a claim being made now.
The claim regarding postponement of surgery gained significance in the light of the argument advanced by senior counsel Kapil Sibal, representing the habeas corpus petitioner, that the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai had permitted the ED to subject the Minister to custodial interrogation at the private hospital for eight days from June 17 to 24, but the investigating officer failed to take custody and therefore such custody could not be sought again.
