Chennai: In the case alleging a fraud of over Rs. 400 crore by claiming to secure recognition for private schools, DMK former minister Anbil Mahesh was arrested yesterday evening after the Chennai High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition. The anti-corruption court judge has ordered that he be kept in judicial custody until November 6.
During the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu from 2021 to 2026, complaints arose that more than Rs. 400 crore had been swindled by claiming to secure various government approvals for private schools, including permanent recognition, upgrading school standards, and DTCP permission. In the related case, after the anticipatory bail petition was dismissed in the Madras High Court, former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh was arrested yesterday.
This action has been taken based on a complaint filed at the Chennai Police Commissioner’s Office by Ilangovan, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Federation. Based on this complaint, P.T. Arasakumar, the former president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association Federation and a DMK functionary, had already been arrested. During the investigation conducted on him, it was revealed that more than Rs. 400 crore had been collected from 177 private schools by promising to secure government approval for them.
It has been revealed in the investigation that former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh is linked to this irregularity. It was found that large-scale money transfers took place to 20 bank accounts belonging to Arasakumar and his family members, and to 29 bank accounts linked to Muthukumar, who is Anbil Mahesh’s close friend, the association’s state treasurer, and a former MLA.
Following this, a case was also registered against Anbil Mahesh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. After searches were conducted at his houses in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli on the 16th of last month, he was questioned for about 8 hours at the Police Commissioner’s office in Vepery, Chennai, on the 18th of last month.
Former MLA Muthukumar, who is considered the main accused in this case, continues to remain absconding. A ‘lookout’ notice has been issued to all airports to prevent him from fleeing abroad.
Meanwhile, a petition for anticipatory bail was filed in the Madras High Court on behalf of Anbil Mahesh. This petition came up for hearing before Justice V. Lakshmi Narayanan on the 16th. After hearing arguments from both sides in the case, the judge dismissed Anbil Mahesh’s anticipatory bail petition and delivered the verdict yesterday.
After learning that the anticipatory bail had been dismissed, Anbil Mahesh went to his lawyer P. Wilson’s office in Aminjikarai and held consultations about filing an appeal in the Supreme Court. As he came out after the consultation, Chennai Central Crime Branch police arrested him and took him in for questioning.
After he was interrogated at the Central Crime Branch office in Vepery, he was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for a medical examination. Following that, he was produced before Special Court for Prevention of Corruption judge L.S. Sathymurthy. After questioning him, the judge ordered that Anbil Mahesh be remanded in judicial custody until November 6.
