Ex-TN minister Senthil Balaji seeks anticipatory bail

In his plea, Balaji submitted that he was one the 18 MLAs disqualified by the Speaker.

"The present government perceives that I am against the government and seeks to wreck vengeance against me," he said.

The Central Crime Branch, Chennai, registered a case against him under various IPC sections including 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) following a court order on a complaint by Ganesh Kumar, who sought registration of an FIR against the former minister.

The prosecution alleged that Ganesh Kumar had paid money to a relative of the former minister with an assurance of getting a job in the state transport corporation.

Balaji submitted that he was not a minister from July 29, 2015 and the complaint was given after 23 months. Besides, he did not know the complainant.

He said the police had searched for him when he was in Coorg along with the other MLAs. He apprehended that he may be arrested and hence moved the court seeking anticipatory bail, Balaji submitted.

Earlier, the court had directed an officer in the rank of deputy commissioner of police of CCB to monitor the investigation following a complaint by a man named Gopi seeking registering of a case against the former minister.

Income Tax sleuths had conducted raids on the premises of some friends and relatives of Balaji in Chennai, today.

The raids come against the backdrop of allegations against Balaji that he defrauded several persons to the tune of about Rs 4 crore by promising them jobs in the transport department when he was the minister in-charge of it in 2015.

The Chennai Central Crime branch police is investigating the complaints from the duped job aspirants.