Chennai, Oct 10 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Tuesday agreed to hear the bail petition of Tamil Nadu Minister without portfolio, Senthil Balaji on Wednesday.

Justice G. Jayachandran of the Madras High Court agreed to a plea by the counsel of the minister, N.R. Elango, for an early hearing of the bail petition to be filed in the course of the day. The court ordered the listing of the plea for Wednesday.

The Principal Sessions Court in Chennai had on September 20 dismissed his plea for bail considering the gravity of the offence and the materials that were available against the minister. Senthil Balaji is continuing in the M.K. Stalin cabinet as a minister without portfolio for the past four months.

The Principal Sessions Court judge S. Alli had while dismissing the minister’s bail petition on health grounds and said, “This court is not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner on merits and also on medical grounds.”

She also said that the minister had not satisfied the twin conditions enumerated under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002.

The judge said, "This court does not find reasonable grounds for believing that the petitioner is not guilty of the offence or that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.”

The minister, who had undergone a coronary bypass surgery at Kaveri hospital after his arrest, had on Monday complained of chest pain and numbness in his legs and was admitted to the Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai.