Chennai,  Tamil Nadu Power Minister V. Senthilbalaji got a reprieve after the Madras High Court quashed the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.

The probe was initiated on the basis of job racketing cases against Senthilbalaji and two others by local police a few years ago.

A division bench, comprising Justices T. Raja and Kumaresh Babu, allowed writ petitions filed by Senthilbalaji and co-accused, B. Shanmugham and R.V. Ashokkumar to quash the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate against them on April 29.

The petitioners had also requested the court to declare the investigation initiated against them by the ED as illegal and unconstitutional.

The ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the petitioners on July 29, 2021. The case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED had taken cognisance of the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch registering three FIRs against the minister on charges of accepting bribes to appoint drivers and conductors when he was transport minister in the previous AIADMK government.