ED moves to SC against HC order allowing Senthil Balaji's hospital transfer

ED moved to the SC against an order of Madras High Court allowing Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji to be moved to a private hospital in Chennai from the govt hospital following his arrest by ED

The Enforcement Directorate, on Monday, moved to the Supreme Court against an order of the Madras High Court allowing Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji to be moved to a private hospital in Chennai from the government hospital following his arrest by the ED.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, mentioned the matter before the Supreme Court saying Balaji is an influential minister. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh agreed to hear the case on June 21.

The minister for Electricity and Prohibition and Excise, Balaji, was arrested on June 14 and admitted to a government hospital in Chennai after he complained of chest pain. He was allowed by the Madras High Court on June 15 to be shifted to a private hospital of his choice.

He was later taken from the Tamil Nadu government Multi Super Speciality Hospital to Kauvery Hospital at Alwarpet. Doctors attending to him have recommended bypass surgery.

The interim order of the High Court was passed on a habeas corpus petition filed by the Minister's wife, Megala, who accused probe agency officials of not having followed due procedures, such as intimating the grounds of arrest, under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).

His wife wanted the arrest to be declared illegal for the ED's failure to comply with the legal procedures.

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 booked 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 DMK in December 2018 and assumed office as the Electricity Minister after the party came to power in May 2021 .