Supreme Court paves way for probe to continue against T.N. Minister Senthilbalaji, allows ED to initiate proceedings
The HinduThe Supreme Court on May 16 paved the way for the Crime Branch investigation to continue against Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji, who is accused of taking bribes in exchange for jobs in the Metro Transport Corporation. A Bench of Justices Krishna Murari and V. Ramasubramanian set aside a Madras High Court order of October 31 last year, directing de novo or fresh investigation against the Minister. The High Court order of October 2022 had the effect of nullifying a Supreme Court judgment of September 8, 2022 which had restored the criminal case against the Minister. Even the September 2022 judgment of the apex court had expressed its shock at how the de facto complainant in the corruption case, Arulmani, who worked with MTC, had later become a party to the “collection of money for illegitimate purposes”, filed an affidavit supporting the “compromise” and even went on to claim that he had “never made any allegations against the Minister”.