In a relief to arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court Wednesday refused to stay a Madras High Court (HC) order allowing him to be moved to a private hospital for treatment, rejecting the appeal filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, which arrested Balaji in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the State’s transport department, had moved the apex court against the Madras HC order. Balaji, 47, underwent a coronary bypass surgery at a private hospital in Chennai on Wednesday and was said to be doing fine.
A vacation Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh noted a habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji’s wife against his “illegal” arrest is still pending in the HC and asked the ED to approach it. It noted the HC is yet to pronounce its judgment on the maintainability of the habeas corpus petition and on the ED’s request for exclusion of the period of Balaji’s hospital stay.