Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government arrests former education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi

The Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) had on September 16 searched premises linked to Poyyamozhi in Chennai and Tiruchi, including his Thennur Anna Nagar residence.

Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and senior DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested in Chennai on Monday, hours after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition in an alleged multi-crore fraud involving money collected from private schools in exchange for government approvals.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan dismissed the petition after the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) argued that investigators had gathered sufficient evidence suggesting the former minister's involvement and that custodial interrogation was necessary.

Poyyamozhi, a close associate of Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and a prominent second-generation leader in the DMK's contemporary leadership, has been named as the fifth accused in the case.

According to the CCB, an unregistered association headed by one B T Arasakumar allegedly collected money from private school managements by promising permanent recognition, school upgrades and building approvals during Poyyamozhi's tenure between 2021 and 2026.

Investigators told the court that more than 177 school managements had come forward and that they had traced alleged transactions totalling Rs 17.26 crore so far.

The police alleged that Poyyamozhi helped establish the association in 2024 through his personal assistant and publicly introduced its organisers at a Chennai event that December.

Investigators further claimed that money collected from schools was handed over to the minister under the description of a "party fund". The prosecution also alleged that Poyyamozhi had reassured relatives of an absconding accused about his safety, strengthening its argument for custodial questioning.