Chennai, Feb 7 (PTI) A sessions court on Wednesday extended Minister V Senthil Balaji’s remand till February 15, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 last year in a money laundering case.
Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the Central Prison here, extended his judicial custody till February 15.
Originally, the judge had on January 11 posted the case for framing of charges against Senthil Balaji. However, when the case came up for hearing on that day, Senior counsel S Prabakaran, appearing for Balaji informed the court that Balaji has filed a petition to defer the trial.
After Special public prosecutor N Ramesh sought time to file a counter affidavit, the judge adjourned the matter to January 29. After the ED filed its counter affidavit, the matter was again adjourned and his remand was extended till February 7.
Meanwhile, the judge reserved orders for February 15 on the petition filed by Balaji to defer the trial in the case, after hearing elaborate arguments from both sides.
Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during the previous AIADMK regime.
Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital. Later, the ED took him into custody for interrogation and following that he was remanded in judicial custody. His remand is being periodically extended by the court.
The ED had on August 12 filed a charge-sheet, running to 3,000 pages against Balaji.
The Madras high court had on October 19 dismissed the bail petition filed by Balaji. His earlier bail applications were dismissed twice by the PSJ. His third bail application was also dismissed by the PSJ on January 12. His second bail application before the Madras high court has been posted for hearing on February 14. PTI COR VGN ROH
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