Setback for jailed Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in Supreme Court: 'Sickness not life-threatening'

“Your sickness doesn't appear to be serious or life-threatening,” said the Supreme Court.

Updated on: Nov 28, 2023, 11:14:25 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case, on medical grounds. “Your sickness doesn't appear to be serious or life-threatening,” said the Supreme Court.

An apex court bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma allowed Balaji to withdraw his plea seeking medical bail after the court was not convinced about his medical condition being “life-threatening” or “serious”.

The court permitted Balaji to seek regular bail from the appropriate court and held that observations made by the Madras high court recently while refusing medical bail will not come in the way.

"Any observation made in the interim order against the petitioner on merits shall not come in the way of the petitioner in filing regular bail application," the bench said.

As the bench expressed disinclination to entertain the matter, the plea was withdrawn and the matter was dismissed as withdrawn.

The top court had earlier directed Balaji to place on record his medical reports.

While dismissing the bail plea, the high court had said from the health report of Balaji it did not appear to be a medical condition which could be taken care of only if he was released on bail.

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

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