Former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrested in ₹100-crore private schools fraud case

Former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was on Monday (October 26, 2026) produced before a court in Chennai following his arrest in a corruption case, and he was remanded to judicial custody till November 6.

Anbil Poyyamozhi, held in the graft case involving alleged collection of money from private school managements by promising government recognition and various statutory approvals, was produced before the Special Court for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act here at 10.10 pm after a medical check-up at a government hospital.

After hearing the arguments of defence lawyers, Wilson and Saravanan, and Public Prosecutor, John Sathyan, Judge L S Sathiyamurthy remanded Poyyamozhi to judicial custody till November 6.

According to police sources, a special team of the Central Crime Brach (CCB), which is investigating allegations that several crores of rupees were collected as ‘party fund’ from various private school managements across Tamil Nadu, arrested Mr. Poyyamozhi who was the State’s School Education Minister between 2021 and 2026.

This is the first arrest of a senior DMK party functionary and former Minister after the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) came to power, sweeping the DMK out of office.

Police personnel deployed outside the office of the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner at Vepery where former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was being questioned after his arrest on October 26, 2026
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

‘Fleeced private schools’

The case arises from a complaint lodged with the Chennai Police Commissioner by C. Elangovan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Federation, levelling serious charges against B.T. Arasakumar, 59, who was accused of having collected large sums of money by running an unregistered association named the ‘Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association’.

The complainant alleged that Mr. Arasakumar, who was later detained under the Goondas Act, had collected money from private school managements by promising to offer services such as obtaining approvals for upgrading schools, gaining permanent recognition, and securing building plan approvals, using his supposed clout in the then-ruling dispensation, the sources said. 

The CCB had included Mr. Poyyamozhi as an accused in the case after evidence emerged during the inquiry pointing to his involvement in alleged corruption.

Muthukumar, a close associate of Mr. Poyyamozhi, was allegedly involved in the scam to the tune of about ₹100 crore. “He is absconding and efforts are on to apprehend him at the earliest. We are tracking some clues that might lead to his location,” a police officer said.

Political vendetta, says Stalin

Former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly condemned Mr. Poyyamozhi’s arrest, terming it an act of “political vendetta.”

In an official statement, Mr. Stalin accused the ruling administration of attempting to divert public attention from governance failures. “By arresting Anbil Mahesh, who has been fully cooperating with the probe into the allegations against him, the ruling government believes it can divert public attention and cover up the deplorable collapse of law and order and rotting administrative breakdown for a few days. Anbil Mahesh will face the allegations against him legally,” Mr. Stalin said.

(With PTI inputs)