TAMIL NADU Minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) early on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in a case related to an alleged job-for-cash racket dating back to his earlier stint as transport minister in the then AIADMK government (2011-2016). Soon after his arrest, Balaji, 47, was taken to the Tamil Nadu Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Omandurar, at about 2.30 am, after he complained of chest pain. He underwent a coronary angiogram at 10.40 am, and was advised a bypass surgery “at the earliest”, said a hospital bulletin. The DMK has filed a petition in the Madras High Court, seeking to transfer Balaji to a private hospital for the surgery. Meanwhile, a local court sent Balaji to custody till June 28 – he has been allowed to continue medical treatment in the hospital until further orders. Balaji, who holds the Electricity, Excise and Prohibition portfolios under the current government, was arrested after about 18 hours of interrogation, conducted at numerous locations linked to him, including his official residence and chamber at the secretariat, on Tuesday. The DMK has accused the ED and the BJP of putting undue pressure on Balaji, thus triggering health complications. An ED official admitted that they first dismissed Balaji’s complaints of chest pain, and realised the severity of his condition only later. Chief Minister M K Stalin, who visited Balaji in hospital, accused the ED of “torturing” the minister. “They kept putting pressure on him till 2 am and then took him to the hospital. Now, he has been admitted to the ICU,” Stalin said in a statement. “We can see the wrong intentions of those who sent these officials. They acted in an inhuman manner. DMK will not be afraid of this kind of intimidation by BJP. People will teach them a lesson in 2024,” he said. The state government said it was not informed about Balaji's arrest even after he was admitted to hospital. While the DMK accused the ED of procedural violations, ED officials claimed that they attempted to contact Balaji's wife and brother on the phone at about 2 am, before proceeding with his arrest, but received no response. The alleged job-for-cash scam in the state's transport department dates back to 2014-15, under the then AIADMK regime. The case was lodged in March 2021, on the eve of the Assembly elections, when Chennai police filed a chargesheet against Balaji and 46 others, including senior retired and serving officers of various transport corporations. Last month, the Supreme Court cleared the way for an ED investigation, overriding a previous decision by the Madras High Court, which had allowed a re-investigation by the state police and dismissed ED's summons to Balaji. ED sources in Delhi said three FIRs were filed against Balaji, his brother R V Ashok Kumar, personal assistant B Shanmugam and others. (With ENS, New Delhi)
