SC Slams Tamil Nadu Govt Over “Fraud on the System” in Cash-for-Jobs Case, Calls Out Deliberate Delay in Trial of Senthil Balaji
In a scathing rebuke, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday came down heavily on the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, accusing it of attempting to deliberately derail and delay the trial of former minister V. Senthil Balaji in the infamous cash-for-jobs scam. The apex court did not mince words as it called the state’s handling of the case a “fraud on the system,” citing the implication of nearly 2,000 individuals as accused in an apparent effort to bog down the judicial process indefinitely.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi was hearing a petition filed by Y. Balaji, representing victims of the fraudulent recruitment scheme in the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation. The petition challenged a March 28, 2025, Madras High Court order that upheld the clubbing of four supplementary charge sheets related to the case.
“Fraud on the System”: SC’s Strong Words
In a sharply worded observation, Justice Surya Kant said:
“Poor persons who were coerced by your minister or by his henchmen to pay something (Rs) 5,000, 10,000, 1 lakh, 2 lakh, you are more keen to prosecute them so that in the entire lifetime of the minister, the trial never comes to an end! That is your modus operandi! Completely fraudulent on the system… By implicating these so-called bribe givers, somebody trying to get his son employed, gave Rs 1 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, you are making everyone an accused… 2,000 accused in 2 cases!”
These remarks reflect the Supreme Court’s frustration over what appears to be a calculated move to shield high-ranking political figures by creating procedural complications and overwhelming the courts with thousands of accused, thereby stalling the trial indefinitely.
Background of the Scam
The allegations date back to 2011-2016, during which V. Senthil Balaji served as the Transport Minister in the AIADMK-led government. During 2014-15, it is alleged that Balaji abused his official powers and conspired with the then Managing Directors of state transport undertakings and other officials to illegally collect bribes in exchange for recruitment into various government jobs. These positions included drivers, conductors, junior tradesmen, junior assistants, junior engineers, and assistant engineers.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case against Balaji and arrested him in June 2023, when he held the portfolio of electricity, prohibition, and excise in the current DMK government.
Judicial Tug-of-War
Although the Madras High Court had upheld the clubbing of chargesheets — citing that the cases involved common witnesses and documents, and hence must be treated as part of a single transaction — the apex court raised serious questions about the state’s intentions. The SC questioned the need to list over 2,200 people as accused, noting that such a move could indefinitely defer the commencement of trial against the principal accused.
Supreme Court Demands Answers
The bench further demanded clarity from the state on critical aspects of the scam:
“Who are the alleged middlemen to whom money was paid, who are the officers who acted on the minister’s behest, and who were on the board of appointments or the officials who carried out these appointments?”
