The Madras High Court has instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate alleged irregularities amounting to Rs 397 crore in transformer tender procurements during Senthil Balaji’s tenure as Tamil Nadu’s Electricity and Prohibition and Excise Minister from 2021 to 2023. A Division Bench led by Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan directed the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to transfer all case-related records to the CBI. An officer to lead the investigation is to be appointed within two weeks.
The court has ordered a fresh investigation by the CBI based on existing materials, emphasizing the necessity of an impartial and thorough probe. It has mandated the state government, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, and the DVAC to fully assist the CBI and ensure the prompt handover of all relevant documents. The CBI has been instructed to take prompt and effective steps in conducting the investigation and to submit a detailed report.
The petitions prompting this action were filed by Arappor Iyakkam and members associated with various political parties, alleging inaction by the state on complaints seeking the registration of an FIR regarding the purported scam. Despite repeated representations to the government yielding no response, the court has intervened. The Bench had earlier requested details of the preliminary enquiry conducted by the DVAC and related tender documents.
Balaji, who resigned from the state cabinet on February 13, 2024, after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scandal, spent eight months in jail. The court has emphasized the need for an independent investigation, disregarding arguments that the petitions were politically motivated and linked to rival parties. The observations made by the court are solely focused on the necessity of an unbiased investigation and will not impact the case’s merits.
