3 DMK ministers face judicial heat over corruption, misconduct, hate speech

The judiciary on Wednesday (April 23) turned the heat on three sitting ministers of Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK government.

V Senthil Balaji, Durai Murugan, and K Ponmudy are on the legal radar, with the judiciary taking a tough stance over allegations of corruption, misconduct and hate speech.

Over the course of just eight hours, the Supreme Court slammed Senthil Balaji for resuming his ministerial role post bail in a money laundering case, the Madras High Court reversed a 2007 discharge of Durai Murugan in a disproportionate assets case, and registered a suo motu case against Ponmudy for hate speech.

SC slams Senthil Balaji

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka did not mince words in criticising Senthil Balaji during a hearing to recall his September 2024 bail in a money laundering case tied to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

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The minister, accused of taking bribes for jobs during his 2011-2016 tenure as Transport Minister in an AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, was granted bail due to trial delays. To plead for bail, Senthil Balaji had said then that he had resigned as a Minister.

The Supreme Court today warned him that the bail would be cancelled if he did not resign from the ministership. It asked Senthil Balaji to choose between his post and liberty, giving him time till April 28 to decide. Justice Oka said: “We ignored judgments against you assuming you were no longer a minister. If people play with the process of law, we will record our mistakes.”

Also Read: Exclusive: ED spots black money link between Tamil Nadu distilleries and Tasmac

Durai Murugan discharge reversed

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court took a tough stand on Durai Murugan, Tamil Nadu’s senior-most minister and DMK general secretary. Justice P Velmurugan reversed the 2007 discharge of Durai Murugan and his family in a 2002 disproportionate assets case, ordering the trial to conclude within six months.

The case, initiated by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), alleges that Durai Murugan amassed wealth beyond his known income between 1996 and 2001 while serving as Public Works Department Minister.

Case against Ponmudy

Adding to the DMK’s woes, the Madras High Court today initiated a suo motu case against state Forest Minister Ponmudy over his controversial speech allegedly targeting Saivites, Vaishnavites, and women.

On April 17, the court had ordered an FIR against him. Since the state failed to file an FIR against the minister by April 23, as directed by Justice Venkatesh, the judge directed the Registry to initiate suo motu writ proceedings against the minister and place the matter before the Chief Justice for further actions.

The speech made by the minister prima facie appeared to be hate speech, the court said.

Ponmudy, already removed from party post, is under scrutiny for a stayed conviction in a disproportionate assets case and ED probes into illegal mining, faces mounting pressure.