Relief for DMK as Supreme Court dismisses plea to remove Senthil Balaji from Tamil Nadu cabinet

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking the removal of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji from the State Cabinet due to his implication in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan orally observed that a Governor cannot dismiss a Minister without the recommendation of the Chief Minister.

The apex court refused to interfere with the judgment of the Madras High Court which had rejected the plea to remove the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister from the Cabinet.

"We have perused the impugned judgment of the High Court and concur with the view taken. No interference is called for under Article 136," said the bench while dismissing the appeal filed against the High Court order.

The appeal was filed by ML Ravi against the Madras High Court which left it to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to take a call on Balaji's continuation in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio.

The plea in the High Court challenged Balaji's continuation in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet consequent to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Balaji was arrested by the ED last year in a money laundering case.

He was accused of being involved in a cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister in the AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government between 2011 and 2015. Later had joined the DMK and became a minister in 2021.