Habeas corpus plea by Senthil Balaji’s wife not maintainable, HC told

The hearing of the habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji’s wife Megala was held in the Madras high court on Tuesday. The wife of the arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji submitted an affidavit in the Madras high court seeking Balaji’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam, to be declared as illegal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, said that the court cannot interfere in the matter as a trial court has previously held that the minister’s custody is not illegal, senior advocates said, seeking anonymity. The bench comprising justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy began the second hearing in the case from Tuesday morning until about 6.30pm, beyond court hours, and reserved their order.