The Supreme Court postponed Senthil Balaji's bail plea to July 10. The decision was made after an adjournment request from the Solicitor General, engaged in another case.
Coimbatore: The Supreme Court today has rescheduled the bail hearing of former Minister Senthil Balaji to July 10th. This comes after a postponement request was filed on behalf of the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was occupied with another legal matter. Balaji, a former MLA, is challenging a Madras High Court decision that earlier denied him bail in a money laundering case connected with allegations of cash-for-jobs during his tenure as Minister.
Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, who presided over the session, expressed the necessity of the Solicitor General's presence for the case to proceed, stating, “We may hear you, but not in this fashion when the SG is not available.†Despite suggestions from Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram to discuss lesser issues in the absence of the SG, the court opted to defer the case.
The court’s brief order stated, “Time is sought on behalf of the Learned Solicitor General as he is busy in Court Room no.2, list on 10 July.†It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court is closing for summer vacations starting May 17, and will reopen on July 8.
Representing Balaji were Senior Advocates Aryama Sundaram and Mukul Rohatgi, while the Solicitor General represented state authorities. Yesterday’s proceedings saw Justice Oka pointing out that priority hearings are not justified merely because a person has been in prison for a lengthy period under the PMLA provisions, as these are not uncommon instances.
Balaji, who served as the Minister for Transport in Tamil Nadu from 2011 to 2016, is accused of, alongside his personal assistants and brother, collecting money from job seekers promising employment in the Transport Department. Following several complaints from candidates who did not receive jobs, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case against him. Even though the Madras High Court acknowledged Balaji's extended pre-trial detention, it denied bail on lack of merits and directed the Special Court to conclude the trial within three months. Dissatisfied with this, Balaji took his case to the Supreme Court.
Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, who presided over the session, expressed the necessity of the Solicitor General's presence for the case to proceed, stating, “We may hear you, but not in this fashion when the SG is not available.†Despite suggestions from Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram to discuss lesser issues in the absence of the SG, the court opted to defer the case.
The court’s brief order stated, “Time is sought on behalf of the Learned Solicitor General as he is busy in Court Room no.2, list on 10 July.†It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court is closing for summer vacations starting May 17, and will reopen on July 8.
Representing Balaji were Senior Advocates Aryama Sundaram and Mukul Rohatgi, while the Solicitor General represented state authorities. Yesterday’s proceedings saw Justice Oka pointing out that priority hearings are not justified merely because a person has been in prison for a lengthy period under the PMLA provisions, as these are not uncommon instances.
Balaji, who served as the Minister for Transport in Tamil Nadu from 2011 to 2016, is accused of, alongside his personal assistants and brother, collecting money from job seekers promising employment in the Transport Department. Following several complaints from candidates who did not receive jobs, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case against him. Even though the Madras High Court acknowledged Balaji's extended pre-trial detention, it denied bail on lack of merits and directed the Special Court to conclude the trial within three months. Dissatisfied with this, Balaji took his case to the Supreme Court.