VIDEO | Indian minister arrested on money laundering charges reportedly needs urgent bypass surgery
Tamil Nadu Power and Excise Minister Senthil Balaji breaks down after the arrest
An Indian minister in the southern Tamil Nadu state, who was admitted to a hospital earlier in the dayshortly after being arrested on money laundering charges, was administered a coronary angiogram and hasbeen advised bypass surgery at the earliest.
V Senthil Balaji, the state electricity and excise minister, was arrested by the law enforcement agency around 2 am in connection to an alleged money laundering case related to a job racket.
After the incident, the DMK leader was brought to Omandurar government hospital in Chennai for a medical examination as he complained of chest pain. Balaji was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), according o DMK leaders.
"I saw him (Mr Balaji) when he was shifted to ICU. Doctors are evaluating his health condition. It is a procedure when a person says he has been assaulted the doctor needs to note down all the injuries and will know after seeing the report. Officially we have not been informed (by ED) that he has been arrested," said Balaji's lawyer NR Elango.
Elango said no clarity had been provided by the ED as to why Balaji was arrested. He added that no arrest guidelines had been followed while taking the DMK leader in custody.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin attacked BJP and said his party will not cower down.
"Senthil Balaji is undergoing treatment. We will deal with it legally. We are not afraid of the threatening politics of the BJP-led central government," said Stalin.
"It doesn't matter on whom the raid was conducted, but it matters where the raid was carried out. Union Home Minister has severely criticised DMK in a public meeting in Vellore, and we gave proper counter-argument to all the allegations. Conducting a raid in the Secretariat is against the federal structure," he added.
Prime accused incorruption case
Balaji has been named as an accused in the corruption case related to a job scam that took place during his tenure as transport minister from 2011-2015 in the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government. He joined the rival DMK in 2018.
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The arrest followed an extensive 18-hour interrogation by the ED at dozen places in Chennai and Karur, including Balaji's official residence in Chennai. The Supreme Court had previously given its nod to the ED to continue its investigation into the corruption allegations against Balaji.
(With inputs from agencies)
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