CHENNAI: The Principal sessions court of Chennai has extended the judicial custody of jailed minister V Senthilbalaji, in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case and directed him to appear before the court on the next hearing for framing charges.
Jailed minister Senthilbalaji was produced through video conference before the Principal sessions judge S Alli.
Recording the submission the judge observed that the charges against Senthilbalaji in the PMLA case will be framed on January 22 and directed him to appear physically before the court on that day.
The judge also directed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to file an affidavit to an application of Senthilbalaji seeking to submit the materials and documents filed against him.
Senthilbalaji was arrested under PMLA, by the ED on June 14 at his residence in Chennai. The investigating agency registered the PMLA case against Senthilbalaji over an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK regime.
On the same day, the principal sessions judge subjugated Senthilbalaji under judicial custody.
Subsequently, he underwent major surgery for the complaint of coronary artery blockage and later he was shifted to Puzhal prison. Later Senthilbalaji was produced before the sessions court in Chennai on August 12 and the ED submitted a charge sheet of about 200 pages and 3000 pages of documents related to the investigation in a sealed cover.