Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dismissed jailed V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers or the Tamil Nadu cabinet with immediate effect over corruption charges in what is being termed as a rare move by a governor. In an official release, Raj Bhavan said Senthil Balaji, who is in judicial custody in a cash-for-jobs scam, “is facing serious criminal proceedings in a number of cases of corruption, including taking cash for jobs and money laundering.”
The Raj Bhavan release also alleged that Senthil Balaji was abusing his position as a minister and “influencing” the probe against him. “Abusing his position as a minister, he has been influencing the investigation and obstructing the due process of law and justice,” the Raj Bhavan said.
“There are reasonable apprehensions that continuation of V Senthil Balaji in the Council of Ministers will adversely impact the due process of law, including fair investigation that may eventually lead to breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the State,” the release said.
“Under these circumstances, Governor has dismissed him from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect,” Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan said.
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Updated: 29 Jun 2023, 08:18 PM IST