Chennai, Jan 22 (Reporter) A Principal Sessions Court on Monday extended till January 29, the judicial remand of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthilbalaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year in connection with a money laundering case. The Minister without portfolio was produced before Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, through video-conferencing from the Puzhal Central Prison, who extended his remand till January 29. Meanwhile, Mr Senthilbalaji filed a petition before the Madras High Court, seeking bail. It may be noted that the PSJ court had thrice dismissed his bail plea and the High Court once on October 19, 2023. The Judge had on January 11, while extending the remand till today, said charges will be framed against him today and directed the prosecution to produce Mr Senthilbalaji before the Court. However, the charges were not framed on a petition filed by Mr Senthilbalaji raising some legal issues. During the hearing, Mr S Prabakaran, counsel for the Minister informed the court that he has filed a petition raising certain legal issues. Therefore till the disposal of predicate offences, this court cannot frame charges against the Minister. The Minister has filed this petition to defer the trial in the case, he added. After Special public prosecutor N Ramesh sought time to file the counter, the judge adjourned further hearing in the case to January 29, while extending the Minister's remand till that date. Mr Senthilbalaji's remand was extended for the 16th time, ever since he 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, who is also a DMK strongman, continued to be retained in the State Cabinet by Chief Minister M.K.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. After the trial court dismissed his bail plea for the second time and the High Court dismissed his bail plea on October 19 last year, the Minister moved the Supreme Court seeking bail on medical grounds. But the Apex Court had on November 28, 2023, dismissed it and asked him approach the trial court for regular bail as his ailment is not serious and is, in fact, curable. A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to entertain Mr Senthilbalaji’s bail plea saying condition doesn’t seem to be “very serious” to get bail. The Apex Court said that Balaji can apply for regular bail before the trial court. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Minister, then withdrew his bail plea as the apex court was unwilling to grant the relief. "You should apply for regular bail. We are not satisfied with your illness as a ground for medical bail," said Justice Trivedi to Balaji’s counsel following which the plea was withdrawn. In line with the Apex Court order, Mr Balaji filed a bail plea in the Sessions Court and after hearing elaborated arguments from both the sides, Judge Ms Alli dismissed the plea or the third time on January 12 this year...////...