Cash-for-job scam: SC pulls up Tamil Nadu for attempting to bury case against ex-minister Senthil Balaji

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi enquired from the state about its prosecutorial plan in the case and when the trial can be finished. It suggested the need of appointing a special public prosecutor in the case, which the state objected.

The court has termed the trial in alleged cash-for-job scam as the most populated trial of India with over 2000 accused, 500 witnesses involved in the case. The court said a cricket stadium would be required for all accused to attend it.
“With over 2000 accused, 500 witnesses in alleged cash-for-job scam involving ex-minister, it will be most populated trial of India. Small courtroom will not suffice and a cricket stadium will be needed to even mark presence of all accused. Several Artificial Intelligence-generated accused will pop up to mark their presence,” the bench told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaryanan, appearing for Y Balaji, representing victims of the scam and opposing the decision for clubbing of the cases.
The Bench said when powerful minister and affluent accused are involved, then there is an apprehension public prosecutor will not be able to do justice.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Balaji, representing Karur assembly constituency, on June 14, 2023, in the case when he was the transport minister during the previous AIADMK regime between 2011 and 2015.

On February 13, the TN governor accepted Balaji’s resignation from the council of ministers. The top court’s reprieve on September 26, 2024 ended Balaji’s 471-day incarceration.

The ED had filed a case of money laundering in July 2021 to probe the allegations after three FIRs were registered by the Tamil Nadu police in 2018 and based on complaints by those aggrieved in the alleged scam.

The agency’s charge sheet claimed the entire recruitment process in the Tamil Nadu transport department during the tenure of Balaji as minister was turned into a “corrupt chiefdom”, and the scam was executed under his authority.

Being a public servant, Balaji “misused” his official capacity as the then transport minister and obtained pecuniary benefits by corrupt and illegal means and directly acquired the proceeds of crime, generated out of a criminal activity related to a scheduled offence, the agency alleged.