Chennai: DMK leader V Senthilbalaji, who had to step down as Tamil Nadu minister after facing heat from Supreme Court, may not become part of the cabinet in the near future with the court allowing ED to again approach it if he becomes minister during the trial in the cash-for-job ‘scam’ case, which will take at least a few years to be completed.
As apprehension was expressed that Senthilbalaji will again become minister and it was urged that he be restrained from holding any public post till trial is completed, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and A G Masih said there was no need to pass such an order and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or any aggrieved party can approach the court again.

At the outset of the hearing, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi told SC that the minister had resigned and placed a press release issued by the Raj Bhawan before the bench.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, and senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for one of the victims of ‘scam’, submitted that Senthilbalaji should not be allowed to hold any ministerial berth till completion of trial.
Citing past instances, they said SC had earlier also imposed such restrictions on other accused ministers and it had barred Arvind Kejriwal from discharging his duty as Delhi chief minister.
Sibal and Rohatgi opposed the plea saying the trial in the case will go on for years and it may take more than a decade as more than 200 witnesses had to be examined by the trial court. They also refuted the allegation that Senthilbalaji was delaying the trial.
The bench, however, said since Senthilbalaji has already resigned, there is no need to entertain the application. In the previous hearing on April 23, the bench had warned Senthilbalaji that the bail granted to him would be recalled if he did not resign from his ministerial post.
The court asked Senthilbalaji to choose between retaining his ministership and his liberty.