CHENNAI:
Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested by the Chennai police on Monday after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition recently in the alleged ₹100-crore private school approval scam. He was reportedly arrested from an apartment in Aminjikarai, Chennai.
Justice V Lakshminarayanan of the Madras High Court rejected the pre-arrest bail plea filed by Anbil Mahesh, who is being investigated by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police. The case pertains to allegations that large sums of money were collected from private school managements in the name of party funds by promising to secure government approvals, permanent recognition and permission to upgrade schools during the previous DMK regime, when Anbil Mahesh was the School Education Minister.
The investigation has widened to examine the alleged links between the former minister and B T Arasakumar, a former DMK spokesperson, and Muthukumar, a former MLA. The police suspect that the two men collected money from school managements by projecting their political influence and access to the School Education Department. The allegations include collecting money in the name of party funds while assuring school administrators that their pending applications for statutory approvals would be cleared.
According to the complaint lodged by D C Ilangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, school managements were allegedly promised permanent recognition, school upgradation approvals, clearances from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and other government permissions. However, several complainants alleged that the promised clearances were not obtained and the money was not returned.
The police investigation has so far covered 177 private schools that allegedly paid money in connection with the promised approvals. Investigators have also been examining whether the alleged collections extended to a much larger number of institutions across Tamil Nadu. Police sources have estimated that the total amount involved could exceed ₹100 crore.
Arasakumar arrested earlier
B T Arasakumar, who headed an unregistered body called the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, was arrested by the CCB on June 27 in connection with the case. He was subsequently detained under the Goondas Act on July 14. A special court later granted him default bail on September 29 after the investigating agency failed to file its final report within the statutory 90-day period. The bail was granted on procedural grounds and did not amount to a judicial finding on the merits of the allegations.
Muthukumar, another key accused who allegedly worked with Arasakumar, has been reported to be absconding. The police have been investigating the roles of the two men, their alleged links with the former minister and the movement of money collected from school managements.
The CCB initially registered the case following complaints that private school administrators had been induced to pay large sums of money in return for government clearances. As the investigation progressed, the police said they found material warranting a closer examination of Anbil Mahesh’s alleged role in the transactions and the use of the School Education Department’s official machinery.
Searches and questioning
On September 16, the CCB conducted searches at several locations in Chennai and Tiruchy, including premises linked to Anbil Mahesh and his associates. His residence in Thennur, Tiruchy, was among the locations searched. Police seized documents, property records, cheques, bank-related materials and electronic devices as part of the investigation.
The searches were followed by further operations on September 29 at locations linked to Arasakumar, Muthukumar and their associates. Investigators collected additional documents and electronic evidence to establish the nature of the alleged transactions and the links between the accused.
Anbil Mahesh appeared before the CCB for questioning on September 18. The inquiry lasted nearly eight hours. After the questioning, he said that the police had prepared 295 questions and that he had answered 246 of them. He maintained that the allegations against him were false and said the documents seized from premises linked to him largely related to his tenure as minister. He also said he was unaware of the alleged cash transactions and that the police should question the other accused about them.
The police subsequently added his name to the case under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the investigating agency’s submissions before the High Court, statements recorded during the probe referred to alleged discussions with the former minister concerning money collected from school managements as party funds and assurances about government orders being issued to address their requests.
Police oppose anticipatory bail
During the hearing of Anbil Mahesh’s anticipatory bail petition, the State opposed his request for protection from arrest. State Public Prosecutor R John Sathyan argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged transactions, establish the whereabouts of the absconding accused and trace the movement of the money.
The prosecution maintained that further questioning was required to establish the individual roles of the accused and determine whether the alleged collections were facilitated through political connections or official channels.
Senior counsel P Wilson, appearing for Anbil Mahesh, opposed the prosecution’s arguments and contended that custodial interrogation was unnecessary. The defence pointed out that the police had already searched premises linked to the former minister, questioned him for several hours and collected documents, including his income tax returns. It also maintained that he had cooperated with the investigation and was willing to continue doing so.
After hearing the arguments, the High Court reserved its decision and dismissed the anticipatory bail petition on Monday, October 26. The rejection removed the immediate legal protection sought by the former minister against arrest, paving the way for the police to take him into custody.
ED registers money laundering case
The alleged school approval racket has also attracted the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). On October 1, the agency registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on the CCB’s investigation into the alleged collection of more than ₹100 crore.
The ED is examining the suspected financial trail, including how the money was collected, transferred and potentially utilised. The investigation is expected to focus on financial transactions and the assets or accounts that may be connected to the alleged proceeds of crime.
The case has become a major political and legal issue in Tamil Nadu because it concerns allegations of corruption linked to government approvals during the previous DMK administration. With Anbil Mahesh’s arrest following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea, the police investigation is expected to focus further on the alleged money trail, the roles of the accused and the evidence collected from private school managements.