Tamil NaduThursday, 30 July 2026·Hindu Tamil Thisai
Madras High Court rejects anticipatory bail in TASMAC tender scam linked to Senthil Balaji
On 28 July 2026, the Chennai High Court refused anticipatory bail to former minister V. Senthil Balaji in the TASMAC liquor procurement and tender scam case.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In July 2026, the Madras High Court at Chennai dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister and Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthil Balaji in the TASMAC liquor procurement and tender irregularity case registered by the State DVAC on 28 July 2026.
Key specifics
- The case was registered on 28 July 2026 by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
- Seven persons were named, including V. Senthil Balaji, former TASMAC MD S. Visakan IAS, and former regional managers T. Ramadurai Murugan and R. Panneerselvam.
- The FIR refers to 857 TASMAC bars tendered in 2021 across Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Erode, Namakkal and Karur districts.
- According to the complaint, 284 of the 857 bars were shown as closed, yet they allegedly continued to function without licence renewal.
- The alleged loss cited in 2022-2023 includes ₹17.27 crore in Coimbatore North, ₹13.58 crore in Coimbatore South and ₹1.95 crore in the Nilgiris.
Exam lens
Question type: Tamil Nadu polity and governance, anti-corruption institutions, case-based MCQ; key facts: Madras High Court, DVAC, 28 July 2026, 857 bars, 284 closed, ₹143 crore bottle-collection allegation. TNPSC may ask which court rejected bail or which agency filed the FIR.