In a setback to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court on Monday (May 11, 2026) refused to interfere with a Madras High Court order directing a CBI probe into an alleged ₹397-crore scam in the procurement of transformers during his tenure as the State’s Electricity Minister between 2021 and 2023.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the plea challenging the Madras High Court’s (HC) direction for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for an official of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), said there was no specific prayer before the HC seeking a CBI investigation and contended that the proceedings were politically motivated.
₹397 crore transformer procurement scam: Madras High Court calls for DVAC inquiry report and minutes of tender committee meetings
“There was no prayer for a CBI enquiry before the HC. It’s a politically motivated case,” Mr. Dave submitted.
