Habeas corpus plea by Senthil Balaji’s wife not maintainable, HC told
The hearing of the habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji’s wife Megala was held in the Madras high court on Tuesday.
The wife of the arrested minister V Senthil Balaji submitted an affidavit in the high court seeking Balaji’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam, to be declared as illegal.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, said that the court cannot interfere in the matter as a trial court has previously held that the minister’s custody is not illegal, senior advocates said, seeking anonymity.
The bench comprising justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy began the second hearing in the case from Tuesday morning until about 6.30pm, beyond court hours, and reserved their order.
Mehta concluded his arguments by submitting that the ED is seeking exclusion of the period of Balaji’s hospitalisation while considering the period for custodial interrogation. “The submission is to exclude his period of hospitalisation. Once he becomes fit, comes the next question of custody for interrogation,” said one of the advocates in the case, who did not wish to be named.