Madras High Court denies anticipatory bail to Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in ₹100-crore private schools fraud case

Madras High Court denies anticipatory bail to Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in ₹100-crore private schools fraud case left Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. File R. Ashok The Hindu ASHOK R Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 29/05/2023: Tamil Nadu Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. Photo: Ashok R / The Hindu Justice V. Lakshminarayanan dismisses his advance bail plea in a case being investigated by the Chennai Central Crime Branch police CHENNAI The Madras High Court on Monday (October 26, 2026) denied anticipatory bail to former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi of the DMK in a corruption case after observing that the final destination of over ₹400 crore, allegedly collected towards a ‘party fund’ from over 177 private school managements in the State, could be found out only if he is subjected to custodial interrogation.

Investigation reveals collection of ‘party fund’ during Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi’s tenure as School Education Minister, CCB tells Madras High Court storyline 1 Justice V. Lakshminarayanan said he was of the view that grant of advance bail to the former Minister would paralyse the investigation being conducted by the Central Crime Branch for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

CCB sought I-T returns filed by me, my wife and mother-in-law for last 10 years: Anbil Mahesh tells Madras HC storyline 1 ED takes up ₹100-cr. cheating case against former DMK Minister ED takes up ₹100-cr. cheating case against former DMK Minister ED takes up ₹100-cr. cheating case against former DMK Minister storyline 1 “While protection of individual liberty is a duty of the court, it should be weighed against the society’s need for a corruption-free governmental administration,” he said.

Rejecting the petitioner’s argument that all evidence in the case was documentary in nature, and hence, his arrest was not absolutely necessary in such a case, the judge said: “Money trails would still require custodial interrogation in order to establish the intent and identify who had been holding the strings and the final destination of the amount alleged to be involved.” Further, the judge recorded the submission of State Public Prosecutor R.

John Sathyan that the second accused Muthukumar, who was a classmate of the former Minister and also the treasurer of a private schools association through which the ‘party fund’ was collected, was still absconding and his whereabouts could be found out only by interrogating the present petitioner. “The petitioner is a politician, holding a high position. If anticipatory bail is granted before the second accused is apprehended, then it would become a tool for the second accused to avoid the process of the investigation.

As the investigation is still at its nascent stage and as new facts are being unearthed, this court is of the view that grant of anticipatory bail would not be fit and proper,” Justice Lakshminarayanan said. Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh questioned by CCB Police Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh questioned by CCB Police The case is about alleged collection of money from private school managements on the promise of securing government approvals from the School Education Department Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh questioned by CCB Police storyline 1 He went on to state that corruption was a grave economic offence.

“It not only affects the public exchequer but is also a crime against humanity and directly affects the human rights. In cases such as these, the court has to keep in mind the position that had been occupied by the petitioner and thereby his ability to tamper with the State machineries or influence witnesses.” He also said courts would generally be slow in granting anticipatory bail in corruption cases, especially when a strong apprehension arose that the petitioner could use the liberty to influence witnesses, hamper investigation, or destroy physical evidence.

“In the present case, prima facie, the records reveal that the absconding accused — A2 has been shielded by the petitioner,” he wrote. The judge said Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan of the Supreme Court had in 2025 held that in corruption cases, anticipatory bail could not be sought as a matter of right, and it could be granted only in cases involving political vendetta, false implications, or manifest frivolity.

“None of the exceptions pointed out by Pardiwala J. applies to the facts of the present case,” he concluded. Case background According to the CCB, the first and second accused were the founder president and treasurer respectively of an unregistered body titled ‘Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association’. They were instrumental in collecting crores of rupees from various private school managements for purposes such as gaining permanent recognition, upgradation, DTCP/CMDA approvals, building related permissions and other government approvals.

CCB invites complaints from private schools in alleged ₹100-crore scam storyline 1 Former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrested in ₹100-crore private schools fraud case Former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrested in ₹100-crore private schools fraud case Hours after his anticipatory bail plea was dismissed, Chennai Police took the former School Education Minister into custody in connection with an alleged multicrore scam Investigation reveals collection of ‘party fund’ during Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi’s tenure as School Education Minister, CCB tells Madras High Court Investigation reveals collection of ‘party fund’ during Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi’s tenure as School Education Minister, CCB tells Madras High Court It makes the submission in a counter affidavit filed before Justice V.

Lakshminarayanan in response to the former Minister’s plea to quash the FIR against him The investigating agency claimed the unregistered association was formed in 2024 on the basis of the former Minister’s communication through his personal assistant Valadi Karthick. Mr. Poyyamozhi…