Senthil Balaji Reveals Names Of ED Officials Who Assaulted Him: Human Rights Commission Member

Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji has revealed the names of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who assaulted him, Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (TNSHRC) member V Kannadasan said on Wednesday.

The TNSHRC member met the minister, who was arrested by the ED on Wednesday, in the Omandurar government medical hospital in Chennai today, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

Balaji told Kannadasan that the officials from the ED pushed him and dragged him due to which he got wounds on his head and ear.

"I couldn't see the wounds because he was lying down, and he couldn't speak much because of his chest pain. But I have investigated him, and he has given me the names of officials who he said assaulted him," said Kannadasan. However, only the doctors can confirm about the injuries said to have been suffered by Balaji.

The TNSHRC member said that the commission will take a decision on the issue on Friday.

Meanwhile, senior AIADMK leader and former MLA IS Inbadurai took exception to Kannadasan's meeting with Balaji, saying he had in the past appeared in TV debates and spoken in favour of the DMK.

The AIADMK leader claimed the report that Kannadasan would file on the matter will be "fake." Saying that Kannadasan's appointment itself was "wrong," he said "we will separately question that."

Kannadasan's possible report is like "one judging one's own case," Inbadurai, an advocate, said. However, the former MLA said he was not opposed to the TNSHRC intervening in the matter, PTI reported.

Balaji, TN Electricity and Prohibition and Excise Minister, was arrested on Wednesday by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a cash for jobs scam against him when he was the Transport minister in the earlier AIADMK cabinet led by the late J Jayalalithaa.

The action came months after the Supreme Court allowed a police and ED probe into an alleged cash for jobs scam against him.

A court on Wednesday sent him to judicial custody till June 28.