The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 12 filed a complaint/charge sheet along with documents running more than 3000 pages in the money laundering case against Minister V. Senthilbalaji on completion of five-day custodial interrogation with him.
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Mr. Senthilbalaji has been facing the case booked by ED in 2021 under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that arose from three cases filed by Central Crime Branch of Chennai City Police. It was alleged that when he was the Minister for Transport in the AIADMK Government in 2014, he and others received money from job aspirants for appointments in transport corporations. The case took a turn after the Supreme Court had allowed the ED to proceed with investigation.
After conducting searches of houses and official premises of Mr. Senthilbalaji, the ED officers arrested him at his official bungalow in the early hours of June 14. However, the central agency was able to take under custody for interrogation last following a long legal wrangle and the Supreme Court dismissed his petitions against the arrest and custodial interrogation.
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The ED officials took him under its custody from Monday evening from Central Prison and interrogated at ED’s office in Shastri Bhavan, Nungambakkam. On conclusion of custodial interrogation, the ED officials brought Mr. Senthilbalaji and produced before the Principal Sessions Judge S. Alli on Saturday afternoon.
The Judge asked Mr Senthilbalaji on how he was treated by the ED officials and whether he had any complaint against ED. He replied that he was treated well by ED officials and he had no complaint against ED. After recording the same, the Judge extended his judicial custody till August 25.
The ED officials also filed a trunk box of documents which include the complaint/ charge sheet along with material evidence, witnesses and deposition details. He was taken to the Central Prison, Puzhal.