Police question former Tamil Nadu minister in school approval case
Former school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi is undergoing interrogation regarding an alleged Rs 100 crore bribery scam.
The Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) has begun questioning former Tamil Nadu school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi regarding an alleged Rs 100 crore scam involving private schools. According to reports from Dinamalar – Tamil Nadu and The New Indian Express, a special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases granted police custody of Mahesh until 5 pm on November 4.
The investigation follows a complaint by D.C. Elangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. The complaint alleges that money was taken from school managements with promises of securing permanent recognition, school upgradation, and various statutory clearances, including Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) permissions.
Mahesh, who served as minister from 2021 to 2026, is also alleged to have gathered funds from over 1,000 private school managements under the guise of a party fund. He was arrested on October 26 and is currently held in Puzhal prison in Chennai.
Other individuals arrested in connection with the case include private schools association president BT Arasakumar and former Virudhachalam DMK MLA V Muthukumar. The case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal breach of trust by a public servant and cheating.
Before the interrogation began on Wednesday afternoon, Mahesh underwent a medical examination at Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai. Investigators have also decided to question his wife, Janani, after they have recorded Mahesh's statement.