Over 2K accused a bid to prolong trial beyond Senthil’s lifetime: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Tamil Nadu government for naming 2500 persons as accused in the cash-for-jobs case involving former state minister V Senthil Balaji, observing that such “modus operandi” is aimed at protecting him by ensuring the trial isn’t completed in his lifetime.

- Abraham Thomas

The court was hearing a petition filed by Y Balaji, a victim, who challenged a March 28 order passed by the Madras high court allowing clubbing of four separate charge sheets in cases investigated by the state against Balaji, into one single case.

As a consequence of this clubbing, the top court noticed that in one set of cases there are 2000 accused and in another, 500. These accused are the alleged bribe givers who later complained that despite payment of bribe, they did not get jobs as promised to them.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said, “The state must clarify what is the consequence of such clubbing...While implicating these bribe-givers, 2500 persons have been named as accused. In his (Senthil Balaji) entire lifetime, this trial will not conclude.”