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In a setback to erstwhile Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court connected Monday (May 11, 2026) refused to interfere with a Madras High Court order directing a CBI probe into an alleged ₹397-crore scam successful the procurement of transformers during his tenure arsenic the State’s Electricity Minister betwixt 2021 and 2023.
A seat of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the plea challenging the Madras High Court’s (HC) absorption for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.
Senior advocator Siddharth Dave, appearing for an authoritative of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), said determination was nary circumstantial supplication earlier the HC seeking a CBI probe and contended that the proceedings were politically motivated.
“There was nary supplication for a CBI enquiry earlier the HC. It’s a politically motivated case,” Mr. Dave submitted.
Justice Nath said the tribunal was empowered to nonstop specified a probe if the circumstances warranted.
“We don’t request a prayer. It depends upon however the tribunal feels,” the Bench observed.
Declining to entertain the peculiar permission petition against the HC order, the apex tribunal ordered that it was not inclined to entertain the entreaty and said probe successful the substance should proceed independently without being influenced by immoderate observations made by the HC.
On April 29, the HC ordered a CBI enquiry into the alleged irregularities surrounding the procurement of 45,000 organisation transformers by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Following the HC order, Mr. Balaji had maintained that each procedures were duly followed successful the tender process and that nary irregularities were committed successful the procurement of transformers.
The DMK person besides said the procedures of procurement had been successful spot since 1987 and that the “same procedures were followed till now”.
The HC bid came connected allegations that the State exchequer suffered a nonaccomplishment of ₹397 crore betwixt 2021 and 2023.
The tribunal passed the bid connected a petition filed by NGO Arappor Iyakkam seeking an enquiry by a Special Investigation Team, portion AIADMK ineligible helping functionaries E Saravanan and Rajkumar sought a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.
The petitioners alleged that irregularities amounting to ₹397 crore took spot successful the procurement of 45,000 transformers during Mr. Balaji’s tenure arsenic Electricity Minister successful the past DMK Government.
The HC directed that each related complaints beryllium transferred to the CBI for a elaborate investigation.
Ordering the CBI to behaviour a caller probe into this matter, the HC directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to manus implicit each documents related to the lawsuit to the cardinal bureau wrong 2 weeks.
It had further directed the CBI, upon receiving the documents, to behaviour and reason the probe expeditiously and to instrumentality due enactment successful accordance with the law.
The HC besides ordered TANGEDCO, the DVAC, and the Tamil Nadu Government to widen their afloat practice to the CBI during the investigation.
