The Chennai Central Crime Branch arrested former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on October 26 in a case alleging that at least ₹100 crore was collected from private schools for government approvals. A special court remanded him to judicial custody till November 6; his bail plea is due to be heard.
The Chennai Central Crime Branch arrested former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on October 26 in a case alleging that at least ₹100 crore was collected from private schools for government approvals. A special court remanded him to judicial custody till November 6; his bail plea is due to be heard.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police arrested former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on the evening of Monday, October 26, 2026, hours after the Madras High Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail.
| Step | What happened |
|---|---|
| High Court | Justice V. Lakshminarayanan rejected his anticipatory bail plea on October 26 |
| Arrest | CCB arrested him the same evening at an apartment in Aminjikarai, Chennai |
| Medical check | Examined at a government hospital before being produced in court |
| Special court | Produced at 10:10 pm before the special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases; remanded to judicial custody till November 6 |
| Prison | Lodged in Puzhal Central Prison; the court allowed first-class facilities and a diet suited to his medical condition |
The special court adjourned the hearing on his bail plea and the CCB’s request for five days of police custody to November 2, and asked the CCB to respond to his plea for the return of seized electronic devices. The same day, former DMK MLA V. Muthukumar, the second accused, surrendered before the special court a day after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, and was remanded in judicial custody till November 12.
The defence told the court the arrest was illegal and politically motivated, and has moved a bail petition in the special court. Minister Aadhav Arjuna rejected the charge of vendetta, saying the arrest is part of a probe into corruption under the previous government: “There is no need to take action to target anyone.” He said the Chief Minister wants the facts made public and that the allegations will be proved in court.
These are allegations under investigation. An arrest is not a finding of guilt; the evidence will be tested in court, and the former minister is entitled to every legal remedy.
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