The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again approached the Tamil Nadu government seeking prosecution sanction against former minister V Senthil Balaji in the cash-for-job scam case. In a three-page communication dated May 15, the federal agency addressed the chief secretary M Sai Kumar, requesting the state's nod to prosecute the ex-minister.
Background of the Case
Seven months earlier, the then DMK government had refused to grant prosecution sanction to the ED against its minister V Senthil Balaji and others. The ED's previous prosecution sanction request, dated May 14, 2025, was addressed to the then governor but was returned on February 23 this year, following directions from the state government. The then chief secretary informed the governor in October 2025 that the state government alone was the competent authority to grant sanction to prosecute a public servant, and that the ED should have written directly to the chief secretary instead of approaching the governor.
Fresh Submission of Evidence
In its latest letter, the ED has enclosed all relevant evidence, including a secret note on the investigation and a copy of the prosecution complaint, stored on a pen drive. The communication has been duly received and acknowledged by the office of the chief secretary.
Allegations and Arrest
The alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the transport department occurred between 2011 and 2016, when Senthil Balaji served as the transport minister. The ED registered a case against Senthil Balaji, his brother RV Ashok Kumar, and personal assistants B Shanmugam and M Karthikeyan on charges of money laundering. They were accused of accepting illegal gratification from candidates seeking employment in the transport department. Senthil Balaji was arrested by the ED in June 2023.
Legal Proceedings
While Senthil Balaji was granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2024, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against him before the special court for PMLA cases in Chennai. However, the trial has yet to begin, pending sanction from the state government, as Balaji was a minister at the time of the alleged offense.
