Cricket stadium will be needed to conduct trial involving former TN minister Senthil Balaji: SC
Terming the trial in cases involving ex-minister as "rudderless ship", a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said that had there not been judicial intervention, the "reluctant state" wanted to give a decent burial of cases involving ex-minister Senthil Balaji in the cash-for-job scam case.
"With over 2000 accused and 500 witnesses it will be the most populated trial of India. A small courtroom of the trial court will not suffice and a cricket stadium will be needed to even mark the presence of the accused. Several Artificial Intelligence-generated accused will pop up to mark their presence," the bench told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaryanan, appearing for Y Balaji, representing victims of the scam and opposing the decision for clubbing of the cases.
On a prayer for appointment of a special public prosecutor, the bench told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state, that when a powerful minister and affluent people are accused in a case, there is a perception that a lone public prosecutor will not be able to do justice.
On Tuesday, the top court expressed displeasure over the Tamil Nadu government "attempting to delay" the trial in cases involving Balaji by implicating more than 2,000 people as accused in the alleged cash-for-jobs scam and described the attempt as a "complete fraud on the judicial system".
Balaji resigned from the M K Stalin-led state Cabinet on April 27 after being pulled up by the top court.
The apex court asked Balaji on April 23 to make a choice "between post and freedom" as it warned him that his bail would be cancelled if he did not step down as a minister.
It took exception to the fact that Balaji was reinstated as a minister in the southern state, days after he obtained bail in a money-laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.
On September 26, 2024, the top court granted bail to Balaji in a case probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
With Balaji spending more than 15 months in jail, the top court had observed that there was no possibility that the trial would be concluded in the near future.
Balaji (48) was sworn-in as a minister on September 29 last year, and assigned the same key portfolios of electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise that he had held previously in the Stalin Cabinet.
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