Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested Monday in connection with an alleged Rs 100-crore fraud involving the collection of money from private school managements.
The arrest by the Greater Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) came hours after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition in the alleged multi-crore cheating and corruption case. Anbil’s separate petition seeking to quash the FIR against him is scheduled for hearing on 29 October.
The school managements allege that during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rule, intermediaries collected large sums, estimated at over Rs 100 crore, from private school managements while promising permanent recognition, school upgradation, Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) clearances, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) approvals, NOCs, licences and other statutory permissions.
Investigators said many of these promises were not fulfilled, amounting to cheating and criminal breach of trust. Some money was allegedly collected under the garb of “party fund,” they added.
A complaint alleging bribery was filed 23 June by D.C. Elangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, who alleged that B.T. Arasakumar, founder-president of the unregistered Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association (TNPSA), and associates including former Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) MLA Muthukumar, had collected money from private schools.
The association was launched in December 2024 and inaugurated by then education minister Anbil Mahesh.
The complaint claimed that Anbil Mahesh directed school managements to approach Arasakumar and Muthukumar for resolving issues. Out of roughly 14,000 private schools, only a small number held permanent recognition, creating high demand for clearances for recognition.
More than 170 school managements alleged that an estimated total amount of around Rs 100 crore was collected for granting recognition, according to the police. The CCB registered an FIR on grounds of criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Arasakumar was arrested 27 June and later booked under the Goondas Act. While two others, Suresh and Raja, were also arrested, Muthukumar remains absconding. Bank accounts linked to the accused and their families were also frozen.
On 16 September, the CCB added Anbil Mahesh as an accused and it conducted simultaneous searches at nine locations in Chennai and Trichy. The CCB seized property documents, bank details, cheques, phones, laptops, pen drives, etc. and other records. Anbil Mahesh was summoned and questioned for about eight hours on 18 September. The police also sought the former minister’s, his wife’s and mother-in-law’s income-tax returns for several years.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a money-laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and is tracing the money trail.
In the high court, the CCB informed that investigation revealed collection of money termed “party fund” during the former minister’s tenure and materials indicating his role in demands and representations concerning private schools, with intermediaries projecting access to him.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar demanded that DMK chief M.K. Stalin should quit politics as they compromised child safety for money. “Collecting crores of money as bribes across many private schools in the State to grant approvals and issue fake safety certificates is a criminal compromise on children. Stalin should quit politics,” he told the media.
Stalin responded to the arrest of his colleague, accusing the the TVK government of political vengeance.
“By arresting Mr. Anbil Mahesh, who has been extending full cooperation to the investigation regarding the allegations against him, the ruling government believes it can temporarily conceal the dismal state of law and order that is laughing in mockery and the administrative corruption that is weeping in despair, thereby diverting the people’s attention,” he posted in Tamil on X.
Anbil Mahesh, he added, would face the allegations in accordance with the law.
(Edited by Tony Rai)