New Delhi [India], July 30 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a complete list of accused and witnesses in the corruption cases arising out of the cash-for-jobs corruption cases involving former minister V Senthil Balaji and others.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also enquired from the state about its prosecutorial plan in the case and when the trial can be finished.
It suggested the need to appoint a special public prosecutor in the case, which the state objects to. The apex court questioned the government as to how a trial of such magnitude could be handled without an effective prosecutorial plan.
The bench said the trial in the case may require a "cricket stadium" as it noted the state government named over 2,000 individuals as accused.
"We want from you clearly and definitely what is your prosecutorial plan. It seems to be a very rudderless ship with over 2000 odd accused, 500 odd witnesses. With 200 witnesses summoned in a court hall, it will perhaps be one of the most populated trials in India... You will need a cricket stadium," the bench remarked.
The bench said managing the attendance of all accused would be nearly impossible.
The top court remarked that the bribe-givers, though technically also committed a crime, are effectively victims and prosecuting them would cause "extreme inordinate delay."
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi for Tamil Nadu opposed the appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the trial of the case.
The bench also expressed concern about the public perception that a government-appointed prosecutor may not bring justice in a case involving a powerful politician and affluent bureaucrats.
Posting the matter for hearing on August 11, the bench said, "First we want the list of accused. That is the biggest bottleneck. Give a list of witnesses also, so that we can see how many accused and witnesses are overlapping."
The top court was hearing a plea against a March 2024 order of the Madras High Court, which had dismissed objections to the clubbing of chargesheets.
Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam that occurred during his tenure as Transport Minister in an earlier AIADMK regime.
The ED had arrested Balaji in connection with an Enforcement Case Information Register (ECIR) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2021.
The ECIR was registered on the basis of three FIRs lodged against him by the local police in 2018 for his alleged involvement in a cash-for-job case when he was the Transport Minister in Jayalalithaa's Cabinet in 2015.
The charges date back to his tenure as transport minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015.
He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in December 2018 and assumed office as the Electricity Minister after the party came to power in May 2021.