Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested in the early hours of today by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-job scam case after searches at his official residence and intense interrogation lasting over 15 hours.
He was subsequently hpspitalised after complaining of uneasiness. The hospital later said the minister had been administered a coronary angiogram and had been advised bypass surgery at the earliest.
The case pertains to a job recruitment scam when Balaji was the Transport Minister in the Jayalalithaa Government between 2011 and 2015.
Balaji has been arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, sources in the ED were quoted as saying. The searches and interrogation were conducted after the Supreme Court cleared the way last month.
The alleged cash-for-job case was booked against Balaji and 46 others close to the 2021 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Three FIRs and three charge sheets were filed by the Crime Branch of the state police then.
In the early hours of Wednesday, at around 2.30 am, ED arrested Balaji. He complained of chest pain and was immediately shifted to Omandurar multi speciality hospital in Chennai. The DMK alleged that had been tortured while citing TV visuals and claimed he complained of uneasiness when he was being hospitalised.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin met Balaji at the hospital and said the people will teach a lesson to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Savha elections.
The Congress also reacted to the development, saying what was need to arrest Balaji in the night. The Opposition will not be sacred by what was being done by the Centre, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said.