Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested on Monday by the Greater Chennai Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB).
The arrest took place shortly after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition. The case involves an alleged ₹100 crore scam centered around the issuance of recognition and statutory clearances to private schools during his tenure as School Education Minister between 2021 and 2026.
According to the police, Mahesh is accused of collecting money from over 1,000 private school managements under the guise of a "party fund." This collection was allegedly carried out in exchange for granting permanent recognition and other administrative approvals.
The FIR registered by the CCB includes specific charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
In addition to the police investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The federal agency is currently probing the suspected financial trail related to the alleged irregularities.
"Regulatory compliance and institutional transparency are foundational to any stable business environment, including the education sector. When administrative approvals and statutory clearances become entangled with financial irregularities, it introduces severe operational risk and uncertainty for educational institutions. Regulatory scrutiny of this scale highlights the critical need for strict adherence to governance standards, ensuring that compliance processes remain transparent and free from undue financial leverage." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
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