CHENNAI, June 14: Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji was arrested here today by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash for jobs scam case in the transport department, making the 47 year-old DMK strongman from Karur district the first member in the M K Stalin-led Cabinet to face such a central probe agency heat.
Chief Minister M K Stalin questioned the need for a long probe even after Balaji assured full cooperation to the investigation, and sought to know if such an “inhumane action” by the ED sleuths was warranted.
Balaji was part of the AIADMK during the period of crime (2014-15) and was the Transport minister then.
After his formal arrest at around 1.30 am today, the DMK leader complained of chest pain and was admitted to a government hospital, where he was advised to undergo a bypass surgery at the ‘earliest.’
He later moved a city court seeking permission to be shifted to a private hospital here for further treatment and also applied for interim bail.
Balaji was arrested after a long session of questioning, official sources said. A local court later sent him to judicial custody till June 28. (PTI)
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