Madras HC entrusts TN hooch tragedy probe to CBI
In a major setback for the DMK government, Madras High Court on Wednesday entrusted to the CBI, the probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed 68 lives in July this year.
Madras High Court has cancelled the bail granted to 19 accused who had attacked Income Tax officials during a search on various premises linked to Minister V Senthil Balaji in Karur last May.
The Madurai Bench of the High Court on Friday revoked the bail granted by Karur Judicial Magistrate and directed the accused to surrender before the trial court. An appeal was filed on behalf of the Income Tax Department officials that the provision of bail and anticipatory bail in the case of those who prevented and assaulted the government officials from work was not appropriate.
On May 26, when Income Tax officials raided various premises linked to minister Balaji in Karur, his supporters attacked the Income Tax officials. A video of this has also gone viral on social media.
The ED had arrested Balaji in connection with an Enforcement Case Information Register (ECIR) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2021.
The ECIR was registered on the basis of three FIRs lodged against him by the local police in 2018 for his alleged involvement in a cash-for-job case when he was the Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet in 2015.
The charges date back to his tenure as transport minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015.
He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in December 2018 and assumed office as the Electricity Minister after the party came to power in May 2021.
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