The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V. Senthilbalaji in a money-laundering case, sources have confirmed. The arrest followed an 18-hour questioning at the Minister’s home in Chennai.
Following the questioning, Mr. Senthilbalaji was taken in a car at 2 a.m. on June 14 to Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai for a medical checkup. Three more vehicles carrying documents followed them.
Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin, Health Minister M. Subramanian and PWD Minister E.V. Velu visited the hospital. Mr. Stalin said the party would consider a legal recourse and “bow down to BJP’s threat and pressure”.
On June 13, the ED held searches at Mr. Senthilbalaji’s official chamber in the State Secretariat, and bungalow in Chennai and other places linked to him in Karur and Coimbatore in connection with an alleged money-laundering case. This is the first time the Central agency has entered Fort St. George, the seat of power, targeting a Minister.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin dubbed it an “intimidation tactic” by the Narendra Modi Government.
While the Central agency did not release any statement till the time of filing this report, it is understood that the searches were being conducted in connection with money laundering related to a job racket that allegedly took place when Mr. Senthilbalaji served as Transport Minister during 2011-15 in Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet.
It is alleged that bribe was sought for jobs in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. Last month, the Supreme Court cleared the decks for probe, saying, “The investigation officer is to proceed with further investigation in all cases.”
