Supreme Court refuses to stay Madras High Court order allowing shifting of Senthil Balaji to private hospital

The minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay a Madras High Court order allowing the shifting of arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Chennai, to a private facility.

The Enforcement Directorate, which arrested Balaji in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state Transport Department, had moved the apex court against the Madras High Court order.

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A Supreme Court vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice M M Sundresh noted that the petition was still pending in the High Court and asked the ED to approach that court.

"The observations made by the High Court was in an interim order and any oral observation made by this court shall have no bearing on the case," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on July 4.

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, said the High Court order sets a wrong precedent.

Bajali, the electricity and prohibition and excise minister of Tamil Nadu, was arrested on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam that took place when he was the transport minister in an AIADMK government led by J Jayalalithaa.

The High Court passed an interim order after Balaji's wife filed a habeas corpus petition alleging illegal arrest.