Former DMK education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrested in Rs 100-crore corruption case

Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested by the Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Monday, hours after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition in connection with an alleged Rs 100 crore corruption case involving the granting of licences and other approvals to private schools.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan dismissed the petition after the Chennai Central Crime Branch argued that investigators had gathered sufficient evidence suggesting the former minister’s involvement and that custodial interrogation was necessary.

Poyyamozhi is a close associate of Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and a prominent second-generation leader in the DMK’s contemporary leadership.

More than 177 pvt schools came forward

According to the CCB, an unregistered association headed by one B T Arasakumar allegedly collected money from private school managements by promising permanent recognition, school upgrades and building approvals during Poyyamozhi’s tenure between 2021 and 2026.

Investigators told the court that more than 177 school managements had come forward and that they had traced alleged transactions totalling Rs 17.26 crore so far.

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Investigators said Mahesh was named as an accused after evidence gathered during the inquiry, including material obtained from digital devices and statements recorded during questioning, pointed to his alleged involvement in corruption and breach of trust.

The police subsequently invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the former minister, who has denied the allegations and challenged the case against him.

The DMK has accused the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of using investigative agencies to target political opponents.

Mahesh has separately approached the court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him.

How the private schools case came to light

The investigation originated in a complaint filed by Ilangovan, the secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools, Tamil Nadu, who alleged that money had been collected from him on the promise of securing permanent recognition, upgradation, planning approvals and other permissions required by private educational institutions.

According to the complaint and details made available, the allegations initially centred on BT Arasakumar, the president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, and other office-bearers who were accused of collecting membership fees and subscriptions from private schools while promising to facilitate official approvals.

The complainant alleged that the association’s representatives had assured schools that they would help obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs), licences, recognition, renewals and other regulatory clearances, but failed to deliver on those promises even after collecting money.

Investigators further said that the money collected from private schools was handed over to the minister as “party fund”.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the suspected financial trail related to the alleged scam.