Former TN minister Senthil Balaji's remand extended

Chennai, Jun 4 (PTI) A sessions court on Tuesday extended former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's remand till June 10. The DMK leader was arrested by the ED in June last in a money laundering case.

Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the Central Puzhal Prison here, also extended his judicial custody till June 10.

When the case came up for hearing, Senthil Balaji filed two petitions.

One petition sought a direction to the City Union Bank, Karur to furnish the list of bank employees more specifically the clerk, cashier and manager employed there between 2012 to 2022 as the ED had heavily relied on the counter foil challans issued by the bank, which has been allegedly utilised for depositing the cash by the petitioner and his wife.

In another petition, he sought a direction to the bank to furnish the copy of the PAN cards of the depositors, the counter foil challans for the period from the year 2016 to 2022.

The judge posted to June 10, the hearing on these petitions.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate filed its counter affidavit to the petition filed by Senthil Balaji, which sought to defer the proceedings in the case till the City Union Bank produces the original counter foils/challans used for making deposits in his account and in the account of his wife.

Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. PTI CORR SA