ED supports bail cancellation plea of Senthil Balaji
Hindustan TimesThe Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court supporting a plea to cancel the bail granted to Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, and asserted that his “blatant disregard for the judicial process” and conduct after release have caused significant delays in the ongoing trial against him. The affidavit comes ahead of a crucial hearing on December 18, during which the Supreme Court will also consider Kumar’s plea to recall Balaji’s bail. ED also highlighted applications filed by Balaji’s legal team, such as requests for cloned copies of digital evidence and a sudden change of senior counsel during the witness’s examination, as further evidence of delaying tactics. Urging the bench to issue suitable orders, the agency said: “It is amply clear that Balaji has violated the direction given by this Hon’ble Court by seeking adjournments on nonexistent or frivolous grounds or creating hurdles in the early disposal of the cases.” The latest development follows the Supreme Court’s sharp remarks on December 2 regarding Balaji’s swift reappointment as a cabinet minister.