Chennai
oi-Prakash KL
Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has been arrested in a case over alleged payments exceeding Rs 100 crore collected from private schools in return for government clearances.
The arrest came hours after the Madras High Court refused to grant him anticipatory bail on Monday. Justice V Lakshminarayanan rejected the DMK leader’s request for protection from arrest as the Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) continued its investigation into the alleged financial dealings.
Former Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi faces arrest after the Madras High Court denied his anticipatory bail plea on Monday, October 26. The case involves allegations of collecting over Rs 100 crore from private schools for government clearances, investigated by the CCB.
The case began with allegations against members of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, who were accused of using their political connections to promise school managements government approvals in exchange for money. The investigation later expanded to include Mahesh, who was in charge of the School Education Department when the alleged transactions took place.
At the heart of the case is the allegation that private school operators were asked to pay money in the name of DMK party funds. The payments were allegedly linked to permanent recognition for schools, permission to upgrade institutions, clearances from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and other statutory approvals.
BT Arasukumar, a DMK spokesperson who claimed to be the founder-president of the association, and Muthukumar, a former MLA who served as its treasurer, were among those named in the initial allegations. The association was described in court proceedings as an unregistered organisation.
According to the complaints, Arasukumar allegedly assured school administrators that he could arrange the required approvals through his contacts in the government. The complainants alleged that the promised clearances did not materialise and the money was not returned.
Ilangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools, Tamil Nadu, filed a complaint alleging that money had been collected from him on similar assurances. The CCB registered a case against Arasukumar under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, relating to bribery and abetment.
Arasukumar was arrested on June 27 and later detained under the Goondas Act on July 14. He was subsequently granted bail by a special court in Chennai on September 29 after the investigating agency failed to submit its final report within the prescribed 90-day period. Muthukumar remains absconding, according to reports.
The police later examined whether Mahesh had any role in the alleged scheme. Investigators reportedly relied on material recovered from digital devices and statements recorded during questioning while pursuing the case against the former minister.
Mahesh has denied the allegations. Apart from seeking anticipatory bail, he has also filed a petition challenging the FIR and seeking to have it quashed.
