The Madras High Court on Friday, August 4, 2023 reserved its judgement on a batch of writ petitions filed against the continuation of Minister V. Senthilbalaji in the Cabinet, as he is presently in judicial custody, lodged at the Puzhal prison in Chennai, after he was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case on June 14, 2023.
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The First Division Bench of Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu deferred its verdict after the submission of written arguments by senior counsel V. Raghavachari and advocates K. Sakthivel and S. Sheik Ismail. The counsel had completed their oral arguments last week. AIADMK former MP J. Jayavardhan, Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi founder M.L. Ravi and an individual named S. Ramachandran had filed the writ petitions.
Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram had appeared on behalf of the State and contended that it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister to take a call on the members of his Cabinet.
It was brought to the notice of the court that the arrested Minister had been divested of his portfolios, which were allocated to other Ministers, and that he only continues to be a Minister without a portfolio.