Chennai, July 4 (Reporter) A Principal Sessions Court on Thursday extended the judicial remand of former Tamil Nadu Minister V.Senthil Balaji till July 8 arrested by ED in a money laundering case. His remand was extended for the 43rd time after his arrest on June 14 last year by the ED in connection with the transport department appointment scam. Mr Senthilbalaji, whose bail pleas were dismissed by the Madras high Court and Supreme Court and a fresh plea was pending before the Highest Court, was produced before PSJ Ms S.Alli via video conferencing from Puzhal Central conferencing after which his remand was extended. Ever since his arrest, he remained Minister without portfolio for about eight months, before he tendered his resignation, after Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi objected to his continuance in the State Cabinet and Chief Minister M K Stalin defending it terming it was his prerogative to have whom in his Council of Ministers. In February this year, Mr Senthilbalaji resigned from the Cabinet and from the State Council of Ministers was accepted by the Governor. His resignation was accepted on the basis of recommendations of theChief Minister and his portfolios were allotted to other Ministers. Mr Senthilbalaji, the ruling DMK's strongman in Karur, who has been incarcerated under judicial custody ever since his arrest on June 14 last year in connection with the cash for jobs scam, resigned his Ministerial post and the CM has accepted it and recommended it to the Governor for acceptance. After his arrest by the ED under PMLA, the Governor expressed displeasure over his continuance in the State Cabinet and 'dismissed' him on June 29 last year, but had kept the decision "in abeyance' a few hours later on the advise of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Governor had termed his continuance in the State Council of Ministers was 'untenable' as he was arrested by the ED, after his portfolios were allotted to other Minister and he was made to continue a Minister in the Cabinet without portfolio. But the Chief Minister wrote back to the Governor the next day stating that the Minister would continue to remain in Cabinet and that it was his prerogative to decide on who should continue or not in his Cabinet. Mr Stalin also said in the letter that the Governor has no powers to dismiss a Minister without the recommendation of the Chief Minister. Mr Senthilbalaji's bail plea was dismissed by the Principal Sessions Court and also by the Madras High Court and he had withdrawn his plea in the Supreme Court seeking bail on medical grounds. But he has preferred another plea. Mr Senthilbalaji was arrested on June 14 last year, after day long ED raids at his residence and at his Ministerial Chamber in the State Secretariat, in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as the Transport Minister during the previous AIADMK regime. Later, he quit the party and joined the DMK and made Minister after the party came to power in the May 2021 Assembly polls. After his arrest, the former Electricity Minister, continued to be retained in the State Cabinet by Mr Stalin as a Minister without portfolio. Soon after his arrest, he complained of chest pain while being taken to the ED Office, following which he was admitted to Omandurar Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at the Government Estate. After an angiogram revealed blocks in his heart, he was advised to undergo a coronary bypass surgery at a private hospital, where he had been periodically taking treatment prior to his arrest, on the orders of the Madras High Court on a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife. The ED had, in August 2023, filed a charge sheet, running to 3,000 pages against the Minister with supported documents at the Sessions Court...////...