Bypass surgery advised for TN minister arrested on money laundering charges

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji for alleged money laundering after questioning him for hours, people aware of the matter said. He was hospitalised after complaining of uneasiness. The hospital later said the minister had been administered a coronary angiogram and had been advised bypass surgery at the earliest.

The arrest came hours after Chief Minister M K Stalin slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘backdoor tactics’ against its political opponents; this was after the Enforcement Directorate launched raids at premises linked to Balaji — in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, Karur and Erode on Tuesday — as part of its inquiries.

Balaji’s official residence in Chennai and his office at the state secretariat were among the premises raided. The central agency is expected to seek custody of the minister after producing him before a special court later on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a news agency quoted another TN minister — PK Sekar Babu — as claiming Balaji had been tortured. He cited TV visuals and claimed Balaji complained of being ‘uneasy’ while being hospitalised. Babu told reporters Balaji had been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit.

“He was unconscious and did not respond when (we) called him by his name. He is under observation... there is swelling near his ear... doctors say there is variation in his ECG [electrocardiogram]... these are symptoms of torture.”

State Law minister S Reghupathy, who visited the hospital, questioned the need for raiding Balaji’s house non-stop for hours.

Udhayanidhi Stalin was also among the cabinet ministers who visited Balaji in the hospital even as Central paramilitary personnel were deployed there.

The allegations against Balaji date to 2011/15 when he was transport minister in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led government. Crores of rupees were allegedly taken from candidates in return for jobs that were promised but never confirmed.