Supreme Court Grants Bail to DMK Leader V. Senthil Balaji Amid Corruption Allegations
Supreme Court Decision on Bail
On Friday, the Supreme Court provided relief to V. Senthil Balaji, a leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and former minister, by granting him anticipatory bail in a new corruption case filed by the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, imposed certain conditions for Balaji's bail.
Justice Bagchi remarked to senior advocate Guru Krishnakumar, representing the Tamil Nadu government, that any violation of bail conditions should prompt immediate action, allowing them to modify or revoke the order.
Earlier that day, Justice V. Mohan recused himself from hearing Balaji's anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court had agreed to hear Balaji's request for anticipatory bail concerning a new corruption case linked to alleged irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).
Background of the Case
The Madras High Court had previously dismissed Balaji's anticipatory bail plea related to an FIR filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption concerning the TASMAC scam. Following this, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, and Amit Anand Tiwari urged the bench led by CJI Chandrachud to expedite the hearing of Balaji's plea, citing the risk of punitive action against him.
Balaji represents the Coimbatore South constituency in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. According to the FIR, there were significant scams involving the allocation of shops and bars within TASMAC. Balaji contended that the FIR included verbatim excerpts from the Enforcement Directorate's affidavit and petition submitted to the Supreme Court.
Legal Arguments and Political Context
The plea highlighted that the FIR explicitly states that the relevant material was sourced from the Enforcement Directorate's counter-affidavit and petition. Senior advocate Tiwari argued, "Our contention is that the FIR pertains to events allegedly occurring between 2021 and 2025. There is no risk of my client fleeing, nor is there a need for custodial interrogation."
He also pointed out that he was the minister in charge of the relevant department while TASMAC operates as an independent corporation. Tiwari characterized the legal action as an instance of political vendetta, noting that the FIR details a purportedly orchestrated cash bribery scheme involving millions of rupees, where companies supplying bottles allegedly created fake or inflated bills for distilleries.