Package - in 209 stories
SHOW MORE 209 STORIES

On the arrest of V. Senthilbalaji and its aftermath

A day after the sleuths of Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the official chamber of Minister V. Senthilbalaji, 47, at the State Secretariat in an unprecedented move on June 13, 2024, arrested him. After nearly 18 hours of grilling, the DMK Minister who hails from Karur in Tamil Nadu, was arrested at 1.39 a.m. on June 14.

June 30, 2023 05:17 pm | Updated February 28, 2024 05:42 pm IST

Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji breaks down as ED officials take him into custody in connection with a money laundering case and bring him to the Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai in the wee hours on June 14, 2023

Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji breaks down as ED officials take him into custody in connection with a money laundering case and bring him to the Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai in the wee hours on June 14, 2023 | Photo Credit: ANI

High drama unfolded when V. Senthilbalaji, the erstwhile Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case, in the wee hours on June 14, 2023.

With the go-ahead of the Supreme Court, the ED tightened its noose in the case pertaining to the cash-for-jobs scam that took place when Mr. Senthilbalaji was the Minister for Transport between 2011 and 2015, during the AIADMK regime.

Mr. Senthilbalaji, a well-known party-hopper in his political career spanning 27 years, continues in Tamil Nadu Cabinet as a Minister without a portfolio, ably backed by DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin who vehemently campaigned against Mr. Senthilbalaji’s acts of corruption only a few years ago.

The Minister’s arrest marked the opening of a can of worms in the political landscape in Tamil Nadu. 

Watch | What does Senthilbalaji’s arrest mean for the Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government? 
| Video Credit: Thamodharan Bharath

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.