The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a fresh corruption case registered against him by the state government led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi granted anticipatory bail to Balaji until further orders, attaching several explicit conditions to the relief.
Conditions Attached To Relief
Under the terms laid down by the top court, Balaji must surrender his passport, refrain from influencing any witnesses, and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. Addressing senior advocate Guru Krishnakumar, who represented the Tamil Nadu government, Justice Bagchi emphasized that the court would promptly modify or revoke the protection if the state reports even the slightest violation of these bail stipulations.
The Supreme Court had agreed on Thursday to hear Balaji’s petition urgently after senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, and Amit Anand Tiwari urged a bench headed by Chief Justice Kant to intervene, citing the threat of immediate coercive measures. Earlier on Friday, Justice V Mohana recused herself from hearing the matter.
Background And Allegations
The top court’s directive follows the dismissal of Balaji’s pre-arrest bail application by the Madras High Court in connection with a First Information Report filed by the state Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
The probe concerns alleged financial malpractices in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation regarding the allocation of liquor shops and bars. According to the investigation agency’s filings, a systematic kickback arrangement operating between 2021 and 2025 siphoned off tens of crores of rupees through fictitious or inflated invoices generated by bottle supply companies for distilleries.
Defense Arguments And Political Claims
Balaji, who represents the Coimbatore South constituency in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, has maintained his innocence and characterized the fresh case as politically motivated.
Representing the lawmaker, senior advocate Tiwari argued that custodial interrogation is uncalled for and noted that Balaji presents no risk of absconding. The defense pointed out that while Balaji previously held the ministerial portfolio overseeing the relevant department, the marketing corporation functions as an autonomous entity.
Furthermore, Balaji’s legal team submitted that the fresh state police FIR mirrors information and statements extracted directly from counter-affidavits and petitions previously submitted to the Supreme Court by the Enforcement Directorate, citing explicit references to federal agency filings within the state document itself.
