Sources indicate that V Senthil Balaji, the arrested Tamil Nadu minister, has submitted his resignation ahead of his upcoming bail plea hearing in the Madras High Court.
Arrested on June 14 last year in connection with a money laundering case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Balaji’s arrest stemmed from a cash-for-job case filed by the Central Crime Branch police in Chennai. At the time of the alleged offense, he served as the transport minister during the previous AIADMK regime.
Insiders from the ruling DMK party have confirmed Balaji’s resignation, attributing it to the ongoing legal complications surrounding his tenure. They mentioned that Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Governor TN Ravi to remove him from the cabinet.
While Balaji had been retained in the Tamil Nadu cabinet as a show of support from Stalin, the Madras High Court expressed reservations about this decision. The court suggested that Stalin reconsider the move, emphasizing that political considerations should not override public morality, good governance, and constitutional values.
Despite multiple attempts, lower courts have consistently denied bail to Balaji. His bail plea is scheduled for a second hearing in the Madras High Court in the next two days.
Balaji’s arrest by the ED was marked by a dramatic sequence of events, including prolonged questioning and immediate hospitalization due to chest pain. The Income Tax Department had previously conducted raids related to allegations that he accepted bribes between 2011 and 2015 from individuals seeking employment in the state transport department.