Chennai court refuses interim bail to TN minister V Senthil Balaji, allows custodial interrogation by ED at hospital

A Chennai court Friday refused to grant interim bail to Tamil Nadu State Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji..Principal Judge at City Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai, S Alli allowed the plea by Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking custodial interrogation of the minister, who is currently undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Chennai.Judge Alli said that Balaji will continue to remain in the Kauvery Hospital under medical care and the ED can question the minister at the hospital.The judge granted eight days to the ED for such custodial interrogation and directed the agency to produce Balaji before the Court on June 23 via videoconference. Balaji, though in hospital, is technically under judicial custody after being arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case..While rejecting Balaji's interim bail plea on medical grounds, the Sessions Court observed that since, the minister was already receiving requisite medical treatment, and given the "seriousness and gravity of the offence" that he is alleged to have committed, a case for grant of interim medical bail was not made in the present case..Balaji was arrested by the ED in connection with a cash-for-job case. Soon after the arrest, the minister complained of chest pain and was admitted to a government hospital, where he underwent a coronary angiogram on Wednesday. Judge Alli then visited the hospital to ascertain Balaji's health condition the same day before she ordered on June 14 that the minister be remanded to judicial custody till June 28. The minister later shifted to Kauvery Hospital, a private institution, after the Madras High Court permitted the same on June 15.This order was passed after Balaji's wife moved a Habeas Corpus plea before the High Court..After the lower court's order, Senior Advocate NR Elango said that while Balaji has no objections to answering the ED's questions, he will inform the High Court that the Principal Sessions Judge's order granting ED custodial interrogation amounted to "judicial impropriety" since the High court had said that Balaji will remain under judicial custody..The High Court is likely to further hear the Habeas Corpus Petition filed by Balaji's wife on June 22..[Read Order]