Police raid former Tamil Nadu minister's home in school approval scam probe

Police in Tamil Nadu have raided the home of former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi as part of an investigation into an alleged 100-crore rupee bribery scandal involving private school approvals.

A five-member police team arrived at Poyyamozhi’s residence in Thennur Anna Nagar, Tiruchi, at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. At the same time, officers launched coordinated searches at six other locations across Chennai and Tiruchi linked to the former minister and his close aide, Valadi Karthik.

The searches mark a significant escalation in a corruption investigation involving the approval of private schools during the previous DMK administration, when Poyyamozhi held the education portfolio. Police have now registered a case against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, citing statements, official records, and electronic evidence gathered during their inquiry.

The bribery allegations

According to police, the scandal revolves around allegations that private-school managements were swindled out of vast sums of money on the promise of securing fast-tracked government clearances. These approvals included school upgrades, permanent state recognition, and building plan clearance from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. In June, the Central Crime Branch arrested 59-year-old B.T. Arasakumar, who operated an unregistered group called the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association. Officers allege Arasakumar was the central figure who collected upwards of 100 crore rupees from desperate school administrators.

Scale of the investigation

Investigators say the scale of the operation is vast. So far, the inquiry has mapped out 177 affected private schools. Officers have questioned more than 250 people, including bureaucrats and officials within the School Education Department.

As part of the financial probe, police have frozen dozens of bank accounts. These include 20 accounts tied to Arasakumar and his family, and another 29 linked to a second accused individual, Muthukumar.

During Wednesday's raids, officers seized financial records, correspondence with government departments, mobile phones, and computer hard drives. The police are now analysing this digital and documentary evidence to trace the flow of money and establish the exact roles played by Poyyamozhi and his associates.

The raids caused immediate political ripples. K.N. Nehru, a veteran DMK leader and former minister, attempted to visit Poyyamozhi’s home while the search was underway but was turned away by police officers guarding the property.