The Supreme Court eased certain bail conditions for former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged “cash-for-jobs” scam.
Earlier, under the bail order, Balaji was required to visit the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Chennai every Monday and Friday — between 11 a.m. and 12 noon — regardless of whether he was summoned. He also had to appear in court on every date of hearing.
The SC bench — led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi — ruled that Balaji does not need to report to the ED office every Monday and Friday anymore. Instead, he must appear only when formally summoned, with advance notice.
The requirement to attend court hearings on every date has also been relaxed. If Balaji faces genuine hardship in appearing on a hearing date, he may request exemption, and the court will consider it on its merit.
The court noted that Balaji had already complied with the previous requirements — reportedly making over 100 visits to the ED as directed — and that the ongoing investigation had progressed; the chargesheet is filed, and the trial has started.
While granting bail to Balaji earlier, the SC had imposed strict conditions because of concerns over the seriousness of the case and the risk of influencing witnesses.
But in its latest order, the Court asked a fair question: whether requiring him to appear before the ED twice a week — a routine, burdensome task — was still justified, especially when there was no record of default or misconduct.
For Balaji, the relaxation brings relief from frequent reporting requirements and court appearances. It reduces day-to-day constraints while the case continues.
For the legal proceedings, the conditions remain: Balaji must still respond when summoned, cooperate with investigations, and avoid contacting prosecution witnesses or interfering in the trial process.