A division bench of Madras High Court has stayed the ED proceedings against the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation till 25 March in an alleged money laundering case.
ED alleged in affidavit before SC that Balaji’s legal team dragged on examination of witness, a state govt forensic expert, for three months in ‘deliberate attempt to delay trial’.
Complainants told SC they are yet to receive copy of trial court order from 1 Oct, which directed TN police to club all ‘cash-for-jobs’ cases against Senthil Balaji into one chargesheet.
ED case stems from Chennai Central Crime Branch's FIRs against Senthil Balaji for allegedly taking bribes to give jobs when he was transport minister in J. Jayalalithaa's AIADMK govt.
Opposing his bail plea in Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate says V Senthil Balaji has failed to substantively explain the source of cash deposits in his bank accounts.
Ravi order to dismiss Senthil Balaji, now in abeyance, called 'unconstitutional'. SC previously held governor must act on advice of council of ministers barring ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi initially cited DMK leader's arrest by ED as reason for dismissal from council of ministers, but has now decided to seek attorney general's opinion on matter.
Governor R.N. Ravi took the decision barely 5 hours after his initial letter dismissing Balaji as he was ‘facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering’.
Since the bulk of citizens did not regard drinking as a crime, they had no respect for the prohibition laws and did not cooperate with the police, wrote MV Venkata Rao in 1962.
We now live in a world order that will keep shifting. India must use this window. This also means we remain disciplined enough not to be knee-jerked into reacting to what Pakistan sees as its moment in the sun.
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