Urgent surgery advised for Tamil Nadu minister hours after his arrest
Tamil Nadu,June 14 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Tamil Nadu Power and Excise Minister V Senthil Balaji on Wednesday after conducting searches at premises linked to him in connection with a money laundering case. The minister was arrested after a long session of questioning under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) into a cash-for-jobs scam.
The ED started its raids exactly 24 hours back at his residence where the minister was present. Around 1.30 am, when the minister was informed that he would be arrested by the probe agency, he complained of chest pain and was shifted to Omandurar government hospital in Chennai.
High drama was witnessed outside the hospital as the DMK leader was brought there. He was seen crying in pain while lying in a car as his supporters gathered there to protest against the ED action.
The DMK leader was seen weeping copiously in an ambulance as his supporters outside shouted slogans against the ED.He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as the doctors saw variations in his ECG.
After his arrest, the Tamil Nadu minister was advised to undergo bypass surgery as the doctors observed three blocks in his heart.
“State minister Senthil Balaji underwent coronary angiogram today; bypass surgery is advised at the earliest,” Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Chennai said in its medical health bulletin.
The Rapid Action Force was deployed at Omandurar government hospital in Chennai, where Senthil Balaji has been brought for medical examination. After his arrest, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin arrived at the hospital to meet Balaji. The DMK supremo said despite co-operating with the probe agency, Senthil Balaji was pressurised, which triggered the chest pain. DMK workers present outside the hospital raised slogans against Governor RN Ravi
‘WILL FIGHT IT LEGALLY’
“Senthil Balaji was picked up by ED and was brought to Omandurar govt hospital. It seems he was not conscious when he was admitted to the hospital. It is totally illegal and an unconstitutional arrest. We will fight it legally,” Senthil Balaji’s lawyer and DMK leader NR Elango told India Today.
Tamil Nadu ministers I.Periyasamy, Ponmudi, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and R Gandhi arrived at Omandurar government hospital to meet minister Senthil Balaji.
DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Senthil Balaji is undergoing treatment.” We will deal with it legally. We are not afraid of the threatening politics of the BJP-led central government,” he added.
“Senthil Balaji was targeted and tortured. The ED kept questioning him continuously for 24 hours. This is totally against human rights. They (ED) have to answer to the people and the court,” S Raghupathi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister told ANI.
Heavy security deployment has been near Karur bus stand after the ED took Senthil Balaji into custody.
Following Senthil Balaji’s arrest, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin consulted senior ministers and a legal team at his residence. The raids carried out by the probe agency invited strong criticism from Chief Minister M K Stalin and several Opposition parties.
Stalin on Tuesday slammed the BJP government for “unleashing central agencies” against the DMK minister. “These raids are not only politically motivated but also an insult to cooperative federalism,” he said.
State Minister P K Sekar Babu claimed there were “symptoms” Balaji has been “tortured”. While there were speculations that the minister had been taken into custody by the ED, there was no official confirmation and DMK advocates who visited the hospital also said there was no clarity on this.
“This is a revengeful act. The Union government is doing many wrong things against states where there is a non-BJP government like in West Bengal, Delhi and here,” Tamil Nadu minister Ponmudi told ANI.
ED raids spots linked to Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in money laundering probe
Raids were carried out at Balaji’s Karur residence and his office at the state secretariat by the ED sleuths in connection to an alleged money laundering case on Tuesday. In addition to this, the premises of his brother and a close aide in Karur were also raided.
The case against Balaji pertains to allegations when he was the transport minister during the AIADMK-led government from 2011 to 2015 before he switched to the DMK.
The raids came months after the Supreme Court allowed police and ED probe into a cash-for-jobs scam against the DMK strongman. Balaji was earlier with the AIADMK and had been Transport Minister in the late Jayalalithaa-led Cabinet. He is likely to be produced before a special court later where the agency will seek his custody.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the late-night arrest of Senthil Balaji by the ED.
“This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi govt against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves,” reads his statement.
On the other hand, BJP and AIADMK ministers termed his chest pain a ‘complete drama’.
-ANI
