Chennai: Governor R V Arlekar is yet to decide on prosecution-sanction requests concerning former DMK ministers V Senthilbalaji and Anitha S Radhakrishnan, despite Enforcement Directorate (ED) approaching the state govt in May.
Senthilbalaji is facing allegations in the cash-for-jobs scam dating back to his tenure as transport minister in AIADMK govt between 2011 and 2016. Because senthilbalaji was a minister when the alleged offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was committed, dMK govt subsequently returned the request to the central agency, maintaining that state govt sanction was necessary.
Union govt has introduced a provision in Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that provides for “deemed consent” if sanction is not granted within four months. It was the governor, and not the govt of the day, who granted sanction to prosecute former chief minister J Jayalalithaa,” an official said. CPM MP Su Venkatesan said his party would support TVK govt in its action against corruption. They should,” he said.
The cases relate to corruption and money-laundering investigations. Radhakrishnan is linked to an alleged disproportionate-assets case and a subsequent ED probe. The delay has raised questions within the state govt, with the central agency unable to prosecute the two former ministers. Lok Bhavan forwarded the request to the chief secretary four months later. It also argued that governor could not decide the matter suo motu. Governor’s office returned the file in Feb this year, following which ED approached TVK govt in May. This time, govt sent the files to Lok Bhavan. “The legal opinion is that the governor is the appointing authority and must grant sanction. “Will Tamil Nadu ministers speak out against Union home minister Amit Shah over the governor withholding sanction to prosecute former ministers facing corruption charges?
ED first sought governor’s sanction to prosecute Senthilbalaji in May last year.