Overview
- Balaji no longer needs to visit the ED’s Chennai office every Monday and Friday and must appear only when called with advance notice, the Supreme Court ordered.
- The court permitted him to seek exemption from personal attendance at Special PMLA Court hearings when he demonstrates specific hardship, with the trial judge to decide on merits.
- Enforcement Directorate counsel opposed easing the terms over concerns about witness influence, but the bench said non-cooperation could justify a move to cancel bail.
- Balaji’s lawyers argued the investigation is over, a voluminous chargesheet has been filed, and he complied with reporting requirements by appearing 116 times since his 2024 bail.
- The former Tamil Nadu minister was arrested by the ED on June 14, 2023 in a money-laundering case tied to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam, and he received bail with stringent conditions on September 26, 2024.