Balaji oversaw cash-for-job racket in transport dept: ED

The recruitment process in Tamil Nadu’s transport department “turned into a corrupt chiefdom”, the Enforcement Directorate has contended in its chargesheet against V Senthil Balaji, the state minister who held the portfolio until the last week of June when it was re-allocated following his arrest. The charge sheet was filed on August 12 and a court in Chennai took its cognizance on August 16.

- Neeraj Chauhan

 

“The whole recruitment in the transport department during the tenure of the then minister V Senthil Balaji has turned into a corrupt chiefdom, in which, as per the illegal directions of the chief (V Senthil Balaji), recruitment process was designed and implemented,” the charge sheet, seen by HT, stated.

Balaji was arrested by the ED on June 14 over allegations that he was part of a cash-for-jobs racket. He is currently lodged in Puzhal prison.

The irregularities allegedly took place in Tamil Nadu’s transport department, when Senthil was the transport minister between 2011 and 2015 in the AIADMK-led government.

The federal agency, which the state government accuses of running a fake case for political reasons, claimed in the charge sheet that Balaji exploited his official capacity as the transport minister for personal gains through corrupt and illegal means.