Senthil Balaji cash-for-job case: SC refuses to interfere with Madras HC proceedings

Following a split verdict by Madras High Court in a matter relating to Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused the Enforcement Directorate’s plea to take upon itself the task of deciding two questions of law arising in the case ~ whether habeas corpus petition can be entertained after Balaji was already remanded to judicial custody and can ED be denied its right of subjecting Balaji to interrogation for two weeks.

Not accepting a plea by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) urging the top court to take upon itself the task of deciding the two “neat” question of law instead of letting the matter to go to the third judge following the split verdict, a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta requested the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to place the matter before the third judge “at the earliest” and further requested the third judge (before whom the matter will now be placed) to decide the legal issues arising in the case “as early as possible”.

The Bench kept pending the ED’s plea against the High Court order.