Chennai Court remands TN minister V Senthil Balaji to judicial custody till June 28 in ED case

A Chennai court Wednesday remanded Tamil Nadu State Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji to judicial custody till June 28 in connection with the money laundering case against him..Principal judge of the city Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai, S Alli, however, permitted the minister to continue his medical treatment at the Tamil Nadu Multi Super Specialty Hospital, where he is currently admitted.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 the Hospital, where he underwent a coronary angiogram.The judge visited the Hospital around 3.45 pm to ascertain Balaji's health condition before deciding on the remand application moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). After inquiring about minister's condition and speaking with the doctors there, the judge remanded Balaji to judicial custody till June 28 and permitted him to remain in hospital and continue treatment. .Judge Alli also reserved orders on the interim bail plea filed by Balaji through Senior Counsel NR Elango.Elango had earlier urged the Court to grant interim bail to Balaji, to cancel his remand, and to permit him to be shifted to the Kauvery Hospital in the city for medical treatment..Elango said that in arresting Balaji, ED had breached all democratic and legal procedures..However, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, who appeared for ED, told the Court that the central agency followed all prescribed procedures and it was Balaji, who had refused to accept the summons issued to him..Earlier today, Balaji's wife filed a habeas corpus petition before the Madras High Court through Senior Counsel NR Elango claiming that the minister's arrest had been made without following prescribed legal procedures.Justice R Sakthivel recused from hearing the plea and the petition is slated for hearing by a bench of Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy.