The Supreme Court granted bail on Thursday to former Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged 2014 ‘cash-for-jobs’ scam. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih imposed stringent conditions for his release.

The Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on August 12 after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra, who appeared on behalf of Senthil Balaji.

Previously, the High Court had denied Senthil Balaji’s bail request, stating that granting bail in such a serious case would send a negative message and go against the larger public interest. The High Court noted that since the petitioner had been in custody for over eight months, it would be appropriate to instruct the special court to expedite the case. “Accordingly, there shall be a direction to the Principal Special Court, Chennai, to dispose of the case within three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order,” it had ruled.

The High Court also mandated that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis, in accordance with guidelines set by the Supreme Court.