TN minister Senthil Balaji undergoes bypass surgery; SC refuses to entertain ED petition in the case

Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged cash-for-job scam, underwent a bypass surgery at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Wednesday. The surgery, according to sources, lasted for three hours.

According to the medical bulletin from Kauvery Hospital, the minister underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery. “Four bypass grafts were placed and coronary revascularisation procedures that restore blood flow to areas of the heart were established,” the bulletin said.

The surgery was performed by Dr A.R. Raghuram, senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, and his team. “He is hemodynamically stable and being monitored in the postoperative cardiothoracic intensive care unit by the multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses,” the medical bulletin said. Balaji had undergone a coronary angiogram on June 14—hours after his arrest—as he complained of chest discomfort at the time of arrest by ED.

In the meantime, the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, refused to interfere in ED’s petition in Balaji’s case. The apex court adjourned the case filed by the ED against the Madras High Court entertaining a habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji’s wife Meghala against the arrest of her husband and allowing him to be shifted to a private hospital for treatment.

A vacation bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Suryakant adjourned the case, as the Madras High Court is set to hear the case on June 22. The Supreme Court said it will wait for the decision of the High Court on June 22 and then take a call. ED’s plea has been listed for further hearing on July 4.

The Supreme Court refrained from passing any orders despite Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta arguing that the habeas corpus petition is not maintainable against arrest by an authority in accordance with the law. He contended that the argument by the petitioner was illegal as notice under Section 41A CrPC was not served. Citing the Vijay Madanlal Choudary case in the Supreme Court, Tushar Mehta said Section 41A CrPC is not applicable to proceedings under the PMLA.

Meanwhile, the Income Tax department said it had stumbled upon evidence during the searches conducted at the places connected to Senthil Balaji. Sources in the Income Tax say that the sleuths recovered Rs 1 crore in cash during the search and that there is no evidence for the source of income.