Chennai/Trichy: In a complaint related to the collection of Rs.100 crore by claiming to secure government recognition for private schools, sudden raids were conducted yesterday at 9 locations, including the houses of former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh.
During the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu from 2021 to 2026, the secretary of the Federation of Private Schools, Ilangovan, filed a complaint at the Chennai Police Commissioner’s Office alleging that money was collected and fraud was committed by claiming to secure permanent recognition for private schools, upgrades in school standards, and various government approvals including DTCP.
In this case, DMK functionary P.T. Arasakumar, who was from Saligramam, Chennai and had been the president of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Private Schools Associations, was arrested on June 27 for allegedly using his influence to defraud private schools by taking money worth crores of rupees from them.
He was also imprisoned under the Goondas Act. In this case, two of Arasakumar’s relatives, Arokiyaraj and Suresh, were arrested one after the other and are in judicial custody. The police said that complaints have so far been received from 177 private schools in connection with the case. In this case, in which it is alleged that fraud was committed by collecting around Rs. 100 crore, more than 250 people have been questioned.
The police are conducting an intensive investigation into the bank accounts of those involved in the case. Twenty bank accounts linked to the main accused, Arasakumar, and his family members, as well as 29 bank accounts linked to the absconding Muthukumar, have been identified, and an inquiry is also under way into the financial transactions carried out in them.
In this regard, important documents, cell phones, computers, hard disks, and other digital devices were seized during searches already conducted at the homes, offices, and school premises of those accused.
In this situation, a case has been registered against former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Following this, searches were conducted yesterday at houses linked to Anbil Mahesh in Chennai’s T. Nagar and on Greenways Road.
Similarly, 20 police personnel led by an Assistant Commissioner conducted a search at Anbil Mahesh’s house in Anna Nagar, Thennur, Tiruchi, starting at 7:40 a.m. yesterday and continuing for 8 hours until 3:40 p.m. The police also searched the car parked at the entrance of his house. Searches were also carried out at his apartment in Viswas Nagar, the house of Arun, who had been his assistant and lived in another apartment in the same area, and the house of Mahesh’s close relative, Vaaladi Karthi, in the Srirangam area. During the searches, various documents related to the fraud were seized.
Chennai Central Crime Branch police conducted searches at a total of 9 locations, including 2 places in Chennai and 2 places in Tiruchy belonging to Anbil Mahesh. During the searches, along with property documents, bank details, and cheques, 118 documents related to the case, 18 mobile phones, 3 laptops, 8 pen drives, 2 hard disks, 1 tablet, and 1 Apple iPad were seized. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
Two weeks ago, the Anti-Corruption Department police conducted a raid at the house of former minister K.N. Nehru. At that time, Anbil Mahesh went to his house and stood by him in support. In this situation, when a raid was conducted at Anbil Mahesh’s house yesterday, K.N. Nehru came to Mahesh’s house in Anna Nagar at around 10:45 a.m.
However, the police did not allow him to enter the house. Later, K.N. Nehru came to Mahesh’s house again at around 12:30 p.m. and around 2:00 p.m. Even then, the police did not allow him to go inside Mahesh’s house.
M.K. Stalin condemns: Regarding the raid, M.K. Stalin said in a social media post yesterday, “The raid on Anbil Mahesh’s homes is yet another diversionary and politically vindictive action. Ignoring everything that has been shaking the state—power cuts across Tamil Nadu, public protests, fishermen’s protests, Aavin milk shortage, the double murder in Ramanathapuram, and the beating to death of a government bus driver in Chennai—the Chief Minister is busy shooting in London. Conducting raids on the opposition will not calm the public anger. This government will soon realize that false accusations will not stand before the law,” he said.
