The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail petition of former DMK minister V. Senthil Balaji in connection with the alleged TASMAC corruption case, clearing the way for the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to take him into custody for questioning.
Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan held that Balaji's custodial interrogation was necessary, citing the prosecution's allegations that the former minister's actions had caused substantial loss to the state exchequer.
The court further observed that officials who were close associates of Accused No. 1, Senthil Balaji, had allegedly abused their official positions, entered into a criminal conspiracy, and committed various offences.
The DVAC registered an FIR against Balaji, former TASMAC Managing Director S. Visakan, and five others on Wednesday. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in procurement and tender processes, including the allotment of bar licences and transport contracts, as well as bogus and inflated transactions involving certain distilleries and bottling firms between 2021 and 2025, when Balaji was the Minister for Prohibition and Excise.
Soon after registering the FIR, DVAC officials conducted searches at more than 40 locations across Tamil Nadu, including Balaji's residence in Karur and premises linked to his former aides.
The other accused named in the FIR are Balaji's close associates Rathesh Raj Shanmugavel and S. Karthik alias Mulanoor Karthik, his former personal assistant Bhaskar, and former TASMAC officials R. Ramadurai Murugan and R. Paneerselvam.
According to the FIR, an alleged organised syndicate known as the "Karur Gang", purportedly controlled by Karthik, manipulated the functioning of TASMAC. The FIR alleges that the syndicate controlled liquor bars in Karur district and coerced officials into awarding bar licences across Tamil Nadu to favoured applicants.
