A special court in Chennai has rejected the bail application of former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in an alleged multi-crore private school approval scam. Special Judge L.S. Sathiyamurthy, hearing cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, dismissed his plea on November 10, observing that the available material indicated his prima facie involvement in the alleged offence.
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The case relates to allegations that money was collected from private school managements in exchange for government recognition, licences and other statutory approvals during the previous DMK government. According to the investigation, more than 100 crore rupees were allegedly collected, while the prosecution has estimated the suspected financial irregularities at around 400 crore rupees.
Police allege that former MLA B.T. Arasakumar and other associates collected money from school managements in the name of party funds and that a substantial amount reached Anbil Mahesh through intermediaries. The prosecution also argued that further questioning of the accused and investigation into financial transactions were necessary.
The former minister was arrested on October 26 after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application. He has denied the allegations and maintained that he cooperated with investigators.
While rejecting the bail plea, the special court observed that the investigation was still at an early stage and that releasing him could affect the ongoing probe. The court also emphasised the importance of protecting public interest and the welfare of students.
Following the rejection, Anbil Mahesh's legal team approached the Madras High Court for bail relief.
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