Job scam: ED searches office, residence of TN minister Senthil Balaji, others

ED officials search minister V Senthil Balaji’s office at the state secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday. (PTI)

“The Chief Secretary’s office and the secretariat are the nerve centres of the state government. This (raids) goes against the principles of state autonomy,” he said, adding that “the BJP’s politics of backdoor intimidation of those it is unable to face politically will not succeed”.

Other than the Secretariat, searches were carried out at 12 locations — 10 in Karur and two in Chennai. The minister’s official residence on Greenways Road and his brother Ashok’s house in the vicinity are part of the search in Chennai. The ED is also investigating Balaji’s auditor, a few relatives, and several associates in Karur.

The ED operations come following a Supreme Court order three weeks ago, which overruled the Madras High Court’s order on September 1, 2022, dismissing ED summons sent to Balaji and others concerning a Prevention of Money Laundering Act case.

Balaji has been named as an accused in the job scam committed during his tenure as transport minister in 2011-2015 in the AIADMK government. He joined the DMK in 2018.

The minister was out for a morning walk when the ED launched the searches. “I was on a morning walk with friends. As soon as I was notified about the searches, I called a taxi and rushed back. I am unsure of what they are looking for. But let them carry out their investigation. Be it the income tax department or the ED, we are prepared to fully cooperate with them,” he said.

Over 40 premises linked to Balaji were searched by the income tax department two weeks ago.

Two days ago, Balaji, being the electricity minister, was blamed for sudden power outages near Chennai International airport that coincided with the convoy movement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP cadres had staged a protest near the airport alleging that the power outages were preplanned by the DMK.

The Congress came out in support of the DMK with party president Mallikarjun Kharge calling the raids blatant misuse of the ED. “The Congress condemns the blatant misuse of the ED in searching the office of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Thiru V. Senthil Balaji. These are brazen attempts of the Modi government at harassment and intimidation…These tactics will not succeed in silencing the Opposition. They only reinforce its determination and resolve to continue its democratic struggle against the anti-people policies of the Modi government,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the raids as “political vendetta” by the BJP against the DMK. “ED raids in Tamil Nadu at the office of Minister for Prohibition and Excise at the state secretariat and his official residence are unacceptable. Desperate acts by BJP,” she tweeted.