For jailed Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji, a legal respite is still not in sight as he continues his wait for bail after his bail petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday - November 28. Refusing to entertain his bail plea, the apex court directed the minister to apply for regular bail. Senthil Balaji has been under the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since this June 2023 in a money laundering case.

Senthil Balaji was made the Minister without portfolio and he has been lodged in Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. In his case, the ED has been as intense as iron with the agency staunchly arguing against his bail petition. Earlier this October, the Madras High Court dismissed his bail petition saying that he was likely to influence witnesses if granted bail. 

After back-to-back setbacks in the lower courts, Senthil Balaji's legal team has moved his bail plea to the Supreme Court only to embrace a new turn of trouble. After hearing his bail plea, the Supreme Court bench consisting of Judges Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma has on Tuesday refused to entertain the bail plea of Senthil Balaji, who was seeking bail on health grounds. 

While ED took Senthil Balaji under its custody, Senthil Balaji had developed health complications and he underwent a cardiac surgery in a private hospital in Chennai. Recently, he complained of health discomforts and was again hospitalized in the city. During the hospitalization, he had undergone an angiogram procedure and his legal team has been taking efforts to win a bail on health grounds. 

However, the ED has been strongly lambasting Senthil Balaji's bail attempts citing that as a minister, he would influence the witnessess and that his brother, who is also an accused in the money laundering case, is still absconding. The ED has again had a breakthrough on Tuesday by blocking Senthil Balaji's bail plea. As his battle for the bail failed in the highest court of the country, its certain that his prospects to get respite from ED's custody is dimming. 

Refusing to entertain Senthil Balaji's bail plea, the Supreme Court, with his health reports, said that there was nothing serious in his health condition and granted liberty to the Tamil Nadu Minister to approach the trial court to seek regular bail. The apex court bench said, "Any observation made in the interim order against the petitioner on merits shall not come in the way of the petitioner in filing regular bail application." 

As the bench didn't entertain his petition, the bail plea was withdrawn and the matter was dismissed as withdrawn. The 47-year-old minister, who had been a powerful leader in Tamil Nadu ruling DMK, was arrested by the ED on June 14 in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was serving as the Tamil Nadu Transport Minister during the ADMK regime-led by Jayalalithaa.