DMK MLA V. Senthilbalaji. File.
| Photo Credit: R. Raghu
The Supreme Court agreed to urgently hear on July 31 an appeal filed by the former DMK Minister for Prohibition, Electricity and Excise, V. Senthilbalaji, against a Madras High Court refusal to grant him pre-arrest bail in a corruption case registered against him by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on July 28.
Making an oral mentioning before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday (July 30, 2026), senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi, along with senior advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, said the FIR was based on allegations levelled by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in an affidavit filed two years ago in the Supreme Court.
“The DVAC gleaned that a cognisable offence was made out owing to events that occurred between 2021 and 2025,” Mr. Rohatgi submitted.
Mr. Tiwari said the case in which the ED had filed an affidavit was sub judice in the Supreme Court, and its proceedings remain stayed. Mr. Sibal added that there was a risk of his client’s bail being cancelled in the stayed case too due to the allegations made in the July 28 FIR of the DVAC.
The FIR said the “petitions and counter affidavit of the Directorate of Enforcement reveal that public servants V.Senthil Balaji, formerly Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, and Excise; S.Visakan, IAS., formerly MD of Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd (TASMAC); T.Rama Durai Murugan, formerly Senior Regional Manager, TASMAC, Chennai; R.Panneer Selvam, formerly Senior Regional Manager, TASMAC, Chennai; Bhaskar, formerly Personal Assistant to V.Senthil Balaji, by abusing their official position and with dishonest intention entered into criminal conspiracy during the year 2021 onwards with distillery companies, bottle companies, its owners and private individuals”.
The DVAC alleged that the former Minister and others “laundered huge illicit money in TASMAC by various means of manipulation and favouritism in the decision-making processes of TASMAC in an organised manner by the nexus formed between the unauthorised power brokers backed by the political executives and senior-level officials of TASMAC, for deriving undue advantage and caused serious loss to the government exchequer”.
The Madras High Court had rejected V. Senthilbalaji’s advance bail petition earlier in the day, observing that it was a case requiring custodial interrogation.
Published – July 30, 2026 03:40 pm IST
