Ex-minister Senthil Balaji gets partial relief from High Court

First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, before whom the PIL moved by one Baskar of Chennai came up, said, “We are of the view that so far as the electoral process is concerned, no interference can be caused merely because FIR is registered against the person. This is not the law of the land as it stands today, as neither the final report has been filed nor charges framed, nor there is any conviction. We are thus not inclined to grant the relief as prayed for by the petitioner, but feel that we may see the progress of the investigation.” 

The petitioner, a former staff of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Chennai had submitted that while Senthil Balaji was the Transport Minister, he had handed over Rs 4.25 crore to his personal assistant on the assurance of providing employment to certain candidates from his village as drivers, conductors and mechanical engineers. 

But even after a long wait neither were the jobs provided nor the money returned. Instead, he was threatened and he along with some others were arrested at the instigation of Senthil Balaji. He submitted that Senthil Balaji should not be allowed to contest elections.