CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji who was sent to judicial custody till June 28 by a local court has been assigned with a inmate number at Puzhal prison on Thursday.

As he has been granted judicial custody, the jail authorities took over the responsibility of his security around 10 pm last night. 10 policemen, including an inspector and sub-inspector working in the prison department, were engaged in security work in front of the ward where Senthilbalaji was receiving treatment. The security of the paramilitary was immediately withdrawn.

The judge ordered that Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the ED sleuths in an illegal money transfer case, be sent to judicial custody for 15 days.

Today the Sessions Court principal Judge S Alli to hear a verdict on the Enforcement Directorate's plea to detain and interrogate Minister Senthilbalaji. Following that, other petitions, including bail, will be taken into consideration, stated the judge.

Hearing on various pleas filed by arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will continue at a local court here on Thursday.

While Balaji, Electricity and Prohibition and Excise Minister, had sought for interim bail and a plea to be shifted to a private hospital for further treatment, the ED had asked for his police custody.

The arrest followed multi-city searches by the ED on Tuesday on the premises linked to Balaji in Tamil Nadu as part of the probe into money laundering. The move by the ED came after the Supreme Court issued an order on May 16 allowing investigations in the case by the police as well as the ED.