The Supreme Court has adjourned to July 22 the hearing on a bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case last year.

A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih on Friday deferred the matter due to paucity of time.

The top court on April 1 sought a response from the ED on Balaji's bail plea while issuing notice to the agency.

Dismissing Balaji's bail petition, the Madras High Court on February 28 said it would send a wrong signal if he is let out on bail in a case of this nature and it will be against the larger public interest.

It had said the petitioner suffered incarceration for more than eight months and it would therefore be more appropriate to direct the special court to dispose of the case within a timeframe.

The high court had ordered that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis in accordance with the guidelines given by the top court.

Balaji was arrested on June 14 last year in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister during the AIADMK government.

On August 12 last year, the ED filed a 3,000-page charge sheet against him. On October 19, the high court dismissed Balaji's earlier bail plea. A local court had also dismissed his bail petitions thrice.

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