Court allows ED’s plea for custodial interrogation of hospitalised Senthilbalaji

Court allows ED’s plea for custodial interrogation of hospitalised Senthilbalaji

The Principal District Sessions Court, Chennai, on Friday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to conduct “custodial interrogation”, for eight days (until June 23), of Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji, who was arrested in an alleged money-laundering case, and is hospitalised.

Passing orders on a petition filed by the ED for custodial interrogation of the Minister, Principal Sessions Judge S. Alli stipulated that the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate should not remove Mr. Senthilbalaji from Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, where he was transferred from the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital on Thursday night.

The judge said the agency should interrogate him at the hospital by taking into consideration his ailments and the treatment given to him after obtaining the opinion of the doctors, who are treating him, on his fitness for interrogation.

The Deputy Director of the ED was directed to provide sufficient food and shelter to him and was restrained from using any third-degree method or causing any cruelty to the accused. The court said, “No threat or coercion will be made on the accused. The family members of the accused are to be permitted to see the accused during the custody, subject to medical advice.”

The agency was directed to provide security to the accused while he is in its custody and to produce him at 3 p.m. June 23 through videoconference.

The court also dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Senthilbalaji for interim bail. The judge said, “Keeping in view the observations of the Supreme Court of India in respect of granting of interim bail on medical grounds and the fact that the accused being admitted to a hospital from the time of his arrest and shifted to another hospital of his choice and now under treatment and also considering the nature and gravity of the offence said to have been committed by the accused, the court is of the view that he may not be released on interim bail on medical grounds, as prayed for by him.”