The Madras High Court has directed the State to file a counter to a petition seeking to lodge a case against former minister V Senthilbalaji for his alleged involvement in corruption related to the procurement of transformers. Justice G Jayachandran presided over the hearing of the petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organization, which claimed that the former minister caused a loss of Rs. 397 crores to the State’s exchequer.
During the hearing, Advocate General PS Raman requested time to file a counter, which was accepted by the judge. The State and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) were directed to file their counter affidavits, and the matter was scheduled to be heard in the first week of June.
Arappor Iyakkam alleged that from 2021 to 2023, when Senthilbalaji served as the minister of electricity, he floated an E-tender for the procurement of more than 4000 transformers in a deceptive manner to embezzle public funds. The organization claimed to have scrutinized the tender process and uncovered various irregularities that led to a significant loss to the exchequer.
In addition to seeking legal action against the former minister, Arappor Iyakkam urged the court to monitor the investigation by forming a special investigation team (SIT) to ensure a thorough and impartial inquiry into the alleged corruption.
