CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State to file counter to the petition seeking to lodge a case against former minister V Senthilbalaji for his alleged involvement of corruption in procuring transformers.

Justice G Jayachandran heard the petition moved by Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organization claiming that the former minister incurred Rs.397 crores loss to the State's exchequer.

Advocate General PS Raman sought time to file counter.

Accepting the request the judge directed the State and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) to file counter. The matter was posted to first week of June.

Arappor contended that from 2021 to 2023 when Senthilbalaji was the minister of electricity had floated an E- tender for the procurement of more than 4000 transformers in a deceiving manner to loot the public money.

The organization submitted that it examined the tender process and found out various materials to establish the irregularities that occurred during the tender process which resulted in the loss to the exchequer.

Further, the organization sought the court to monitor the investigation by constituting a special investigation team.