<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court — India's apex judicial body that interprets the Constitution and settles disputes between the Union and states (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> on <strong>May 11, 2026</strong> refused to entertain a special leave petition challenging a <span class="key-term" data-definition="Madras High Court — the highest judicial authority in the state of Tamil Nadu, exercising original and appellate jurisdiction (GS2: Polity)">Madras High Court</span> order that directed a fresh investigation by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — India's premier investigative agency under the Ministry of Personnel, dealing with complex corruption and economic offences (GS2: Polity, GS3: Economy)">CBI</span> into a alleged <strong>₹397‑crore</strong> transformer procurement scam during former Electricity Minister <strong>V. Senthil Balaji</strong>'s tenure (2021‑2023). The apex court held that a probe can be ordered without a specific prayer if circumstances warrant, thereby leaving the investigation to proceed independently.</p>
<h3>Key Developments</h3>
<ul>
<li>The bench of Justices <strong>Vikram Nath</strong> and <strong>Sandeep Mehta</strong> dismissed the petition, stating that the court does not need a formal prayer to order a probe.</li>
<li>Senior advocate <strong>Siddharth Dave</strong> argued that the case is politically motivated and that no prayer for a CBI inquiry was filed before the High Court.</li>
<li>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) — the state‑owned utility responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Tamil Nadu (GS2: Polity)">TANGEDCO</span> official, represented by Dave, was instructed to cooperate fully with the CBI.</li>
<li>The High Court had, on <strong>April 29, 2026</strong>, ordered the transfer of all related complaints to the CBI and directed the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Directorate of Vigilance and Anti‑Corruption (DVAC) — Tamil Nadu's state vigilance body tasked with preventing corruption in public administration (GS2: Polity)">DVAC</span> to hand over documents within two weeks.</li>
<li>Petitioners, including NGO <strong>Arappor Iyakkam</strong> and AIADMK legal wing members <strong>E Saravanan</strong> and <strong>Rajkumar</strong>, alleged that irregularities amounting to ₹397 crore occurred in the procurement of 45,000 distribution transformers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Facts</h3>
<p>The alleged scam concerns the purchase of 45,000 distribution transformers worth <strong>₹397 crore</strong> between 2021 and 2023. The High Court’s order mandates that the CBI conduct a "fresh" and "expeditious" investigation, with the DVAC and the Tamil Nadu Government required to extend full cooperation. The court also emphasized that the investigation should proceed without any influence from the High Court’s o
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