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Senthil Balaji oversaw cash-for-job racket in transport department: ED
ED has filed a chargesheet against Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, accusing him of corruption in the transport department's recruitment process.
New Delhi: The recruitment process in Tamil Nadu’s transport department “turned into a corrupt chiefdom”, the Enforcement Directorate has contended in its chargesheet against V Senthil Balaji, the state minister who held the portfolio until the last week of June when it was re-allocated following his arrest.
The charge sheet was filed on August 12 and a court in Chennai took its cognizance on August 16.
“The whole recruitment in the transport department during the tenure of the then minister V Senthil Balaji has turned into a corrupt chiefdom, in which, as per the illegal directions of the chief (V Senthil Balaji), recruitment process was designed and implemented,” the charge sheet, seen by HT, stated.
Balaji was arrested by the ED on June 14 over allegations that he was part of a cash-for-jobs racket. He is currently lodged in Puzhal prison.
The irregularities allegedly took place in Tamil Nadu’s transport department, when Senthil was the transport minister between 2011 and 2015 in the AIADMK-led government.
The federal agency, which the state government accuses of running a fake case for political reasons, claimed in the charge sheet that Balaji exploited his official capacity as the transport minister for personal gains through corrupt and illegal means.
“He directly acquired illicit proceeds resulting from criminal activities linked to scheduled offences and collaborated with co-conspirators, including his brother, personal assistants and officials from the transport department, to orchestrate a strategy,” it added.
Balaji and his two personal assistants, B Shanmugan and M Karthikeyan, the agency added, denied their connections with each other during recording of their statements, but investigative and forensic findings established their links and his (Balaji’s) involvement and role, the agency contended.
The charge sheet adds that a paper sheet seized in the case stated that all the candidates who applied and approached Balaji and his PAs for recruitment got jobs illegally by way of illegal gratification derived by the minister.
“Therefore, it is crystal clear that V Senthil Balaji continuously and meticulously monitored and executed a job racket scam along with his PAs - B Shanmugam and M Kartikeyan,” the federal document said.
On the money trail, the ED said that the plan for the alleged scam involved channelling cash through the minister’s brother, Ashok Balaji, and accomplices and this was supported by digital evidence found during the investigation.
“These records outlined cash collections and job placements. Furthermore, the investigation unveiled tampering in candidate marks, favouring those who paid bribes to the accused,” the ED added.
The agency seized a pen drive with an excel sheet showing that a driver’s post in the transport department was priced and sold for ₹1.75 lakh, a conductor’s post for ₹2.25 lakh, a junior tradesman’s post for ₹5 lakh, a junior assistant’s post for ₹7 lakh and an assistant engineer’s post for ₹12 lakh.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief MK Stalin has maintained that ED’s action against Balaji is BJP’s vendetta politics by using federal agencies.
The ED analysed the bank statements of Balaji and his wife S Meghala and found huge cash deposits, especially during/after the period of the job racket scam in the MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation).
It said some of the “proceeds of crime” were laundered by depositing money in the bank accounts of Balaji’s family members and associates for use or projection as untainted money and thereby, he was knowingly and actually involved in the process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and eventually, committed the offence of money laundering.
