NEW DELHI: The State government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it has appointed a special public prosecutor to conduct trials against former DMK minister V Senthilbalaji in the cash-for-job scam-related cases in which over 2,000 have been implicated as accused.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was told by additional advocate general for Tamil Nadu, Hairpriya Padmanabhan, that the government has appointed a special public prosecutor (SPP) to conduct the trial against the former minister, and if the need arises, it is willing to appoint an additional public prosecutor (APP) for expeditious disposal of the case.
Advocate Pranav Sachdeva, appearing for one Y Balaji, said that the main issue was not the appointment of SPP or APP, but the clubbing of cases related to the scam, as they have named more than 2,000 accused in the matter to delay the proceedings.
The bench said it would hear the matter in detail on August 11.
The top court was hearing a petition filed by Y Balaji, challenging the Madras High Court order of March 28, 2025, which dismissed pleas against the clubbing of multiple chargesheets in cases related to the alleged scam.
On July 30, 2025, the top court termed the trial involving Senthilbalaji a “rudderless ship” and observed that a cricket stadium would be required to conduct prosecution in the cases with over 2,000 persons as accused.
It had pulled up the then DMK government in the state for implicating so many persons as accused. The court had said it appears to be the most populated trial in India with 2,000 people.
It had told the counsel representing the state government that besides the former minister and officials who are prime accused, the other 2,000 persons arrayed as accused technically have committed a crime by giving a bribe but on a comparative analysis, they are more of a victim than an accused.
Balaji had resigned from the MK Stalin-led state cabinet on April 27, 2025, after being pulled up by the top court.