Supreme Court says adverse remarks against Senthilbalaji will not impact his trial New

The Supreme Court on Monday (August 11, 2025) observed that adverse remarks made by the court against former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthilbalaji in its September 2022 order, which restored the cash-for-job ‘scam’ case, will not affect his pending trial.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi however did not expunge the remarks.

The Bench also deprecated the move by the petitioner to approach the apex court against the 2022 order post the retirement of the judges who delivered it.

“This practice of filing an application after the judges who passed the order or judgement is as bad as forum shopping. These applications can be dismissed on this ground alone,” Justice Kant observed orally.

The pleas by the former Minister included one to expunge the remarks allowing the Directorate of Enforcement to investigate him and a second one restoring the trial against him. Another one dealt with an order refusing to cancel his bail in the money-laundering case.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who represents one of the victims in the case, said in the matter relating to challenges against clubbing of the FIRs, the top five accused persons were the forrmer Minister and his close aides, aside from 25 officials and the rest being other accused persons.

The top court said it would hear in detail the plea challenging clubbing of the FIR on August 13.