The Supreme Court of India has granted an extension to the Tamil Nadu Government for completing the investigation into the notorious Cash-for-Jobs Scam.
This extension, however, comes with a strict caveat that no further extensions will be allowed. The apex court emphasized that if the State fails to adhere to the newly extended timeline, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be established to probe the issue.
In the ongoing case, Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK MLA V Senthil Balaji, along with other government officials, stands accused of accepting bribes from job aspirants in exchange for securing appointments within the state transport corporation between 2011 and 2015. Balaji currently remains in judicial custody in connection with the money laundering case linked to this scam. Earlier, on August 7, the Supreme Court had dismissed Balaji's plea challenging the Enforcement Directorate's custody.
A division bench consisting of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah granted the extension until September 30, 2023, while making it explicit that no further requests for an extension would be entertained. The court's order emphasized, "It is made clear that no further application for extension of time would be entertained and in the event, the above-mentioned directions are not complied with, the same may be brought to the notice of this Court and in that case, the Special Investigation Team would be constituted."
The timeline extension arrives in the backdrop of a long-standing investigation into the cash-for-jobs scandal. Initially, on May 16, 2022, the Supreme Court allowed a series of appeals against the Madras High Court's order that mandated a fresh inquiry into the scam. The state was initially granted two months to conclude the investigation and submit reports.
Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, representing the Tamil Nadu Government, disclosed that the investigation covered five appointment categories: Junior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Junior Tradesman, Driver, and Conductor. While the inquiry for Junior Engineers and Assistant Engineers had concluded, further time was requested for the investigation into the remaining appointments.
The court, however, expressed its dissatisfaction with the state's request for a six-month extension and limited the new timeline to September 30. The bench's order remarked, "We had expressed our displeasure to Shri Gupta, learned senior counsel asking for six months' time, which is totally unreasonable, inasmuch as in the original order itself this Court granted two months' time. Any further extension of time cannot be more than the period fixed in the original order passed by this Court."
The Cash-for-Jobs Scam dates back to 2014-2015 when appointments were made for various posts within the state's transport corporations. Allegations were made against government officials, including the then-transport minister Senthil Balaji, of colluding to accept bribes from job seekers in exchange for securing these appointments.
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