Chennai Police's Central Crime Branch on Monday arrested former DMK minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in a case linked to alleged collection of ₹100 crore from private schools in exchange of granting licences and other approvals.
Mahesh, who was former Tamil Nadu School Education minister in the previous DMK regime, was named in the case after the investigators said evidence pointed to his alleged involvement in corruption.
He was arrested from his apartment in Aminjikarai, Chennai, hours after the Madras High court denied him anticipatory bail earlier in the day.
The case was originally registered against B.T. Arasukumar, who claimed to be the founder-president of an unregistered organisation named TN Private Schools Association. The FIR includes charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
He was accused of collecting money from at least 177 schools under the guise of "party funds" and was arrested on June 27.
On September 29, the CCB raided five premises in Chennai, including locations linked to former minister Mahesh, Arasukumar and former MLA Muthukumar, who claimed to be the treasurer of the organisation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the suspected financial trail related to the alleged scam.
