In the recruitment scam case involving Tamil Nadu Transport Department, a special court has ordered summons to an additional 150 individuals, including Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji.The case dates back to the AIADMK regime between 2011 and 2015 when Senthil Balaji served as the Transport Minister. Allegations surfaced that appointments in the Transport Department were made in exchange for bribes. Following the accusations, both the CB-CID and Chennai Central Crime Branch registered cases against Senthil Balaji, his brother, and several others
The Chennai Central Crime Branch has filed three cases, where Senthil Balaji has been named as the prime accused. In total, there are four cases related to the scam. The Supreme Court had earlier directed that these cases be heard in a special court designated for MPs and MLAs.
The additional charge sheet filed by the Central Crime Branch mentions over 2,100 individuals as accused. The summons for these individuals are being issued in batches to facilitate court proceedings, with 100 to 150 people being summoned for each hearing.
The case was taken up yesterday by Judge C. Sanjaybaba of the special court. Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji appeared in person, alongside 145 others who had previously received summons.
During the proceedings, the judge ordered the issuance of summons to an additional 150 individuals and adjourned the case to January 9.
The court observed that the presence of over 100 individuals at once was leading to overcrowding within the court premises. To ease congestion, the judge exempted 149 individuals, who had already appeared, from attending the next hearing. Minister Senthil Balaji, however, is still required to be present during future proceedings.
The case continues to unfold, with further investigations and hearings scheduled to manage the extensive list of accused individuals.