Overview

• The Supreme Court has ordered Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji to decide by April 28 whether to step down from his ministerial post or face bail revocation.
• The court expressed concerns that Balaji's position as a minister could allow him to influence witnesses in the ongoing money laundering trial.
• Balaji was granted bail in September 2024, citing Article 21 protections, but was reinstated as a minister just days later, raising judicial concerns about trial integrity.
• The court criticized Balaji's conduct, stating that his return to office undermines the principles of liberal bail jurisprudence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• The money laundering charges stem from allegations that Balaji accepted bribes for transport department jobs during his tenure as Tamil Nadu's transport minister from 2011 to 2015.