Court Urges To Disqualify Senthil Balaji, After ₹100 Crore Scam

V. Senthil Balaji, who served as the Electricity Minister in Tamil Nadu, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.

The charges against Senthil Balaji are related to allegations that he received ₹100 crore in kickbacks from a private company in connection with a road construction project.

Senthil Balaji is accused of taking a large amount of money illegally from a private company in exchange for some favors or benefits related to a road construction project.

Money laundering typically involves trying to make this illegally obtained money appear legal by passing it through various transactions or investments. Balaji has been arrested and is facing legal proceedings in connection with these charges.

The Madras High Court has simply stated, “A Minister Without Portfolio Serves No Purpose.”

The court has simply asked the Tamil Nadu government to  consider whether it makes sense to continue in Senthil Balaji’s role as a Minister without portfolio.

The court suggested that his continued presence in the state cabinet serves no real purpose and is not in line with the principles of Constitutional ethics, good governance, and administrative purity.

V. Senthil Balaji is in trouble with the law. The court suggested that since he couldn’t do his job properly due to legal issues, thus there is no point in keeping him as a minister without any specific duties.

The court believes that government ministers should have clear roles and responsibilities to ensure good governance and follow the rules.

The court cited a Supreme Court judgment that advised the Chief Ministers to avoid appointing individuals against whom charges have been framed by a criminal court for offenses involving moral offenses.

This is specified in Chapter III of the Act of 1951, which includes offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The court argued that a person in custody cannot effectively perform ministerial duties and is a burden on the public exchequer.

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In India, there’s a major loophole in politics. If a regular citizen faces criminal or offensive charges, they can’t apply for or work in any government job.

But the rules are different for politicians. Politicians can even run for elections and hold their positions while facing criminal or corruption charges. This seems unfair and needs to be changed.

The political parties should not appoint or support politicians who are facing serious charges. If a politician is accused of such charges, their party should take quick action to remove them from their position.