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Senthilbalaji faced corruption allegations over irregular transport sector appointments during his tenure as Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa’s government
The Madras High Court on March 28, 2025, dismissed a plea challenging the decision to club four supplementary chargesheets in a job racket case involving Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V. Senthilbalaji.
The plea, filed by Anti Corruption Movement, opposed the consolidation of the chargesheets, arguing that it would significantly delay the trial. The organisation had moved the high court against the decision of a Special Court handling cases against Members of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly, which had approved the clubbing.
Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan rejected the petition after reviewing a counter affidavit submitted by Government Advocate (criminal side) K.M.D. Muhilan, representing the Chennai Central Crime Branch police.
Allegations of corruption were made in recruitment during Senthilbalaji’s tenure as the Transport Minister in the former Jayalalithaa-led government. The four chargesheets detailed irregularities in various transport sector appointments, including Assistant Engineers, Junior Tradesmen, bus conductors, and bus drivers.
According to the petitioner, the first chargesheet, concerning Assistant Engineer appointments, named 74 accused and 112 witnesses. The second, linked to Junior Tradesmen hiring, listed numerous accused and 287 witnesses. The third, related to conductor recruitment, involved 928 accused and 151 witnesses. The fourth chargesheet, regarding bus driver appointments, implicated 920 individuals and many witnesses.
The petitioner’s counsel contended that clubbing the chargesheets would lead to a staggering 2,256 accused and over 668 witnesses being examined, potentially dragging the trial for over 1,500 years. Despite these concerns, the high court ruled in favor of proceeding with the consolidated trial.
CASE TITLE: ANTI CORRUPTION MOVEMENT VS. THE STATE (CRL OP-4579/2025)
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