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Congress and AAP have condemned Balaji’s late night arrest, calling it political vendetta
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu electricity minister Senthil Balaji (47), who was admitted to a hospital in Chennai after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has been asked to undergo bypass surgery on Wednesday.
Balaji was arrested by the ED in an alleged job-for-cash case early on Wednesday morning following an extensive 18-hour interrogation and multiple searches conducted across various locations in Chennai and other parts of the state on Tuesday.
In a statement, Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai said that Balaji underwent a coronary angiogram at 10:40 am on Wednesday. “Coronary angiogram revealed triple vessel disease, for which CABG-bypass surgery is advised at the earliest,” it said.
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The arrest is connected to a job-for-cash scam that reportedly occurred during Balaji’s tenure as the transport minister in the AIADMK regime from 2011 to 2016.
The case, which gained attention between 2014 and 2015, involved a recruitment scam in the state’s transport department. In March 2021, the Chennai Police filed a chargesheet against Balaji and 46 others, including retired and serving officers from various transport corporations.
Shortly after his arrest, Balaji complained of chest discomfort and was rushed to the hospital in Chennai for a medical checkup.
Outside the hospital, Balaji’s arrest sparked high drama as the DMK leader arrived, visibly distressed and crying in pain while lying in a car. His supporters gathered to protest against the ED’s actions.
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State minister and CM MK Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi, also visited the minister and later ressed the DMK’s intention to take legal action against any violations involved in the arrest.
Balaji’s lawyer and DMK leader NR Elango denounced the arrest as “illegal and unconstitutional,” vowing to fight the arrest through legal means. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the arrest, labeling it as political vendetta and harassment by the Modi government against those opposed to it.
As of now, the Enforcement Directorate has not released an official statement regarding the arrest or the searches conducted.
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