New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday eased the stringent bail conditions earlier imposed on former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji in the money laundering case linked to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi modified the September 2024 order that required Balaji to appear before the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Chennai every Monday and Friday between 11 am and 12 noon.
The Court directed that Balaji shall now appear before the ED officer “as and when required,” and only after being served with advance notice.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Balaji, argued that the investigation had concluded and that a complaint had already been filed before the Special Court, making weekly appearances unnecessary.
Opposing the plea, Advocate Zoheb Hossain for the ED maintained that the condition was originally imposed due to the seriousness of the allegations.
The Bench questioned the logic behind requiring Balaji’s twice-weekly presence.
“A man is going before you every Monday–Friday; he has a cup of tea with your officer. Is this necessary?” CJI Kant remarked.
Justice Bagchi added, “For 1.5 years the person attends twice a week… has there been any default by him? At least save the harassment of your officer. He has to wait for him every Monday, Friday.”
The Court also relaxed another bail condition that required Balaji to remain present before the Special PMLA Court on every date of the trial. It clarified that Balaji may seek an exemption whenever he faces a specific hardship, and the trial court shall consider such requests on their merits.
With these modifications, the Supreme Court has significantly softened the reporting obligations placed on the former minister while maintaining the overarching conditions of his bail.
