India, July 30 -- The Madras high court on Thursday refused anticipatory bail to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji in a corruption case the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered against him, saying the allegations against him involved a loss of over Rs.17 crore to the public exchequer and required custodial interrogation.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan dismissed Balaji's petition seeking protection from arrest after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government argued that the alleged Rs.17 crore loss was only the tip of the iceberg and that the actual loss to the exchequer could exceed Rs.100 crore.

Public prosecutor R John Sathyan told the court that custodial interrogation was essential to unearth the...