Chennai, Aug 4:
Senior DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister V.Senthilbalaji on Monday withdrew the fresh plea filed before the Madras High Court seeking to dispense with his personal appearance before the police for six days, in the Rs 35 crore ruling TVK MLA bribery case, which was seen as a plot to topple the nascent Vijay government.
When the plea filed on Friday (July 31) was taken up by Justice G.K.Ilanthiraiyan, counsel for the former Minister informed the court that he had got relief from the Supreme Court in another case and that he had started appearing before the police in the bribery case in compliance with the bail conditions and sought permission to withdraw the plea.
The Court accepted the submissions and dismissed it as withdrawan. 222
Senthilbalaji, the incumbent Legislator from Coimbatore South constituency, did not appear before the Triplicane police for two days — due to DVAC raids in places linked to him and his associates in the multi-crore state-owned TASMAC liquor scam — and the police were contemplating the next course of action, including moving the Court seeking to cancel his bail for not complying with the conditions, which could lead to his imminent arrest.
The DVAC registered cases late on Tuesday night against him and six others, charging them with massive irregularities in the government-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the wholesale retailer of Indian-Made Foreign liquor, between 2021 and 2025 when Senthil Balaji held the portfolios of Prohibition and Excise, and Electricity. As he apprehended arrest in the liquor scam after DVAC booked cases against him and six others after the raids at multiple locations, he moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail but Mr Justice Ilanthiraiyan dismissed the plea following which he moved the Supreme Court which granted him the relief on Friday and directed the DVAC not to arrest him till further orders.
Though he got interim relief in the liquor scam, he was facing possible arrest in the MLA bribery case for not complying with the bail conditions, prompting him to file a fresh plea seeking to dispense with personal appearance before the police. Senthilbalaji has sought exemption from reporting at the Triplicane police station between July 30 and August 4, submitting that he has been complying with the bail conditions since July 25 and needed time to consult Supreme Court lawyers in connection with the DVAC case. He also said he has informed the Triplicane police in writing about his inability to appear in person during this period.
In the petition he assured that he will resume signing at the police station from August 5 and sought relief till that time. As he got bail in the liquor scam case and has started appearing before the police, Senthlbalaji’s counsel withdrew the plea seeking exemption in bail conditions.
It may be noted that on July 8, Mr Justice Ilanthiraiyan had granted conditional advance bail to Senthilbalaji and his brother in the bribery case on the condition that both of them should appear before the Invesgation Officer at the Triplicane police station twice a day until further orders and cooperate with the investigation.
As the ex-DMK Minister failed to comply with the bail conditions and has not appeared before the police, there were allegations that he has absconded. However, Senthilbalaji wrote to the police stating he has not absconded and that his name does not figure in the FIR in the case. He had sent the letter through his counsel in response to a summons directing him to appear before the Investigation Officer for an inquiry.
According to reports his name has been included in the additional case records.
After the High Court binned his plea on July 22 fearing arrest and police harassment in other future cases and asked him to comply with the bail conditions, he surrendered before the Principal Sessions Court, two days later, executed the bond and secured the bail. The PSJ court also directed him to appear before the police twice a day as per the bail conditions.
His brother R V Ashok Kumar who too was linked to the case and secured advanced bail, had been complying with the conditions by appearing before the police twice a day and signing the register.
The poaching row came to light after TVK MLA Dr.N.Elayaraja claimed that a pollster, Thirunuvukkarasu, approached him at the instance of Senthilbalaji and his brother with a Rs 35 crore bribe offer to switch sides during voting on the resolution against the Assembly Speaker. The poaching of the MLA was seen as a plot to topple the two-month-old government of Chief Minister Vijay.
On a complaint lodged by MLA Elayaraja, representing the Uthangarai constituency in Krishnagiri district, police have arrested 14 people so far of which five of them were enlarged on bail by the High Court till date.