Chennai: In a case filed alleging that, during the DMK regime, up to Rs. 400 crore was collected in the name of party funds and defrauded to grant permanent recognition to private schools, former DMK minister Anbil Mahesh was arrested.
He is currently lodged in Puzhal prison. Seeking permission to take him into police custody for 5 days and interrogate him, the Central Crime Branch police filed a petition in the Chennai Special Court for Prevention of Corruption.
The hearing on this petition was held before Judge L.S. Sathya Moorthy. For this purpose, Anbil Mahesh was produced in court from Puzhal prison.
At that time, senior advocate Abudukumar Rajaratnam and advocate Richardson Wilson appeared and argued on behalf of Anbil Mahesh. They said:
He has lost weight
Although the court had ordered that first-class treatment be provided in prison, Anbil Mahesh was not given proper food. They were given the chapatis served to fellow inmates.
As a result, his weight has decreased by 2 to 4 kilograms. Anbil Mahesh has properly answered all the questions posed by the police.
If it is said that any other documents are needed in connection with this case, we are ready to provide those as well without refusing.
In the meeting regarding granting recognition to private schools, Minister Anbil Mahesh and education department officials participated. After the Kumbakonam school fire incident, permanent recognition is not being granted to anyone.
However, private school administrators requested that the recognition renewal period, which was once every 3 years, be changed to once every 20 years. After consulting with private school administrators and officials on that matter, the government order was issued.
He will not run and hide
The very same government order under which the police have now arrested Anbil Mahesh is still in force.
The police, who have arrested Anbil Mahesh on charges of taking bribes worth crores, have not yet arrested those who gave the bribes. Why? Why have they included only those who gave bribes as witnesses in this case? Anbil Mahesh is not going to run away and hide anywhere. This case has been filed purely for political reasons.
They say he must sleep with the light on in prison. First-class facilities have not been provided. Requesting home food, clothing, and medicine in prison is a basic right. Even that is being denied. This is how they argued.
Affidavit on behalf of the police
The investigating officer in this case, Assistant Commissioner of Police Senthil, filed an affidavit explaining why he is seeking to take Anbil Mahesh into custody for questioning.
At that time, Special Public Prosecutor Usharani, appearing for the police, said, ‘‘Proper medical facilities will be provided to Anbil Mahesh in prison. Time should be given to respond regarding home-cooked food. More than Rs. 400 crore has been collected as bribes in the name of party funds.
Only an investigation into that money transfer, who else is involved in this irregularity, the roles of Muthukumar, Suresh, and Arasakumar, and the movable and immovable property details of Anbil Mahesh and his benamis will provide answers.
Therefore, he argued that he should be allowed to be taken into custody and interrogated for 5 days.” After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge L.S. Sathya Moorthy has adjourned the verdict on the petition seeking police custody to Nov. 2.
Permission for home-cooked food
Furthermore, the judge has ordered that ‘the food items requested by Anbil Mahesh should be prepared and served in the prison kitchen itself. Otherwise, he should be allowed to eat food prepared at home and brought in. An acknowledgment letter should be obtained from him stating that he will take responsibility for that food.’
