SC to examine if witnesses against Senthil under pressure after he was made minister

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (December 2) expressed its concern on DMK leader V Senthil Balaji being appointed a minister in the Tamil Nadu government just days after being granted bail in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam and agreed to examine a plea seeking cancellation of bail granted to him on the ground that witnesses will be under pressure in the case after his appointment as a minister.

“We granted you bail and days after you go and become minister. Anybody will be bound to be under the impression that now with your position as a senior cabinet minister, witnesses in the case will be under pressure. What is this going on?” a bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Balaji.

Will not interfere with bail order: Apex Court

The bench, however, made it clear that it would not interfere with top court’s September 26 order granting bail to him in the money laundering case. It said that it would not issue any notice on the plea filed by one of the complainants K Vidhya Kumar seeking cancellation of bail granted to Balaji but limit the scope of enquiry to whether the witnesses in the case would be “under pressure” to depose in the case.

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Which is the only aspect on which apex court will examine the plea?

“The apprehension is that considering the seriousness of allegations against the second respondent (Balaji) in the predicate offences, the witnesses may not be in the frame of mind to depose against the second respondent who is holding the position of cabinet minister. This is the only aspect on which prima facie we are inclined to consider the application, and while making it clear that there is no reason to interfere with the judgement on merits and adjudication of the application remains confined to the aforesaid,” the bench said in its order.

Apex Court on September 26 granted bail to Balaji in money laundering case

The apex court had on September 26 granted bail to Balaji in the money laundering case while imposing stringent condition, saying “denial of bail and delay in prosecution cannot go hand in hand, so the accused (Balaji) is granted bail.”