The Madras High Court on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, granted four more months for the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai to complete the trial in a money laundering case booked by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against former Minister V. Senthilbalaji.
Justice G. Jayachandran granted the time since the Principal Sessions Judge S. Alli had expressed her inability to complete the trial within three months, as ordered by the court on February 28 this year, because of multiple petitions filed by the accused.
In a communication addressed to Registrar General M. Jothiraman, the sessions judge had stated that Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the High Court had dismissed the former Minister’s bail plea in February and ordered completion of the trial within three months.
The High Court order was received by the sessions court on March 6, 2024 but in the meantime, the accused began filing multiple petitions seeking discharge and other relief and therefore the proceedings had to be adjourned from time to time, Ms. Alli said.
On the other hand, the counsel for the former Minister contended that the Supreme Court had on February 29, 2024 passed a verdict stating that the High Court should not fix time limit for completion of trials since the trial courts were overburdened with judicial work. He said, the Supreme Court’s verdict had come just a day after the High Court had fixed the three-month time limit for the completion of the trial in the money laundering case against the former Minister. He also opposed the sessions judge’s request for grant of four more months’ time.
The counsel told Justice Jayachandran that the High Court could, at the most, direct the sessions court to complete the trial as expeditiously as possible. However, the judge said, in such circumstances, the accused person must give an undertaking that he would not file any petition that could delay the trial.
“What do you want? Do you want to be in jail until the completion of trial? Will you give an undertaking that you will not seek bail or discharge until the trial is completed? The delay happens only because of repeated petitions filed on different grounds seeking the same relief,” the judge told the counsel.
At this point of time, ED Special Public Prosecutor N. Ramesh told the court that the former Minister had been filing petition after petition in order to delay the trial. After hearing both sides, Justice Jayachandran said that he was inclined to accept the request made by the principal sessions judge.
“Now, the trial court judge says she can complete the trial in four months. She is the best judge to decide how long it would take to complete the proceedings. I will grant it. If you are aggrieved against this order, you may take it to the Supreme Court,” the judge told the counsel for the former Minister.
Published - June 26, 2024 03:17 pm IST
