Medical team to examine Senthil Balaji’s health condition today

A medical team comprising experts from AIIMS – JIPMER hospitals would visit the city on Friday to examine the health condition of the state electricity minister V Senthil Balaji. The move comes based on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Senthil Balaji was admitted to a private hospital in the city on Thursday night after the Madras High court gave its nod.  
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided about ten premises linked to the minister in Karur and Chennai on Tuesday. The raids were carried out at the premises including his residence, his brother's house and at buildings belonging to his friends, relatives and associates.
 

The search operations come after the Supreme Court overruled the Madras High Court’s 2022 order dismissing the summons sent by the ED in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case to the minister and others. The case has been registered against the minister and others based on a complaint alleging that he had obtained bribes to offer jobs in the transport department during his stint as transport minister between 2011 – 2015.
 

Following the raids, the minister was taken for inquiry. However, he was admitted to the government hospital at Omandurar in the city around 2 am after he complained of chest pain. 
There, he underwent coronary angiogram and doctors advised him to undergo a by-pass surgery because of a blockage in three blood vessels.
 

Meanwhile, the ED had decided to remand Senthil Balaji and approached Justice S Alli of the principal sessions court. The Judge in turn visited the minister at the hospital on Wednesday and remanded him to judicial custody till June 28.
 

Following the approval of the High Court, Senthil Balaji was transferred to a private hospital from the government hospital with heavy police protection on Thursday night. 
At present, he is undergoing treatment at the private hospital.