The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging the Madras High Court's decision to permit Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji to undergo bypass surgery in a private hospital.

The apex court has scheduled a hearing on June 21 to address the matter.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought an urgent hearing on Monday from the vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh, emphasising Balaji's influential position as a minister.

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The Madras High Court, while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife, issued an interim order permitting his transfer to a private hospital.

The court has also issued a notice to the ED on the main plea concerning Balaji's 'illegal' arrest, scheduling the matter for June 22.

The high court clarified that Balaji will remain in judicial custody and allowed the ED to have its own team of doctors to examine him.

The arrest by the ED was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam during Balaji's tenure as the transport minister in the previous AIADMK cabinet led by late J Jayalalithaa.

This is a developing story with more details to follow.

First Published:Jun 19, 2023 11:12 AM IST