The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a probe into an alleged ₹100-crore cheating case against former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, B.T. Arasakumar and others.
The agency had registered a case based on the FIR filed by the Central Crime Branch (CCB), and had begun tracing the money trail, sources said.
The CCB arrested Mr. Arasakumar, who claimed to be the founder-president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, an unregistered body, in June. He and the other accused allegedly collected more than ₹100 crore from several private school managements by claiming that he had contacts in the government, and could secure permissions and approvals for establishing and upgrading schools and obtain other necessary orders.
Subsequently, Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, were added to the FIR. According to the FIR, Mr. Arasakumar induced private school administrators to pay him money by promising to secure government approvals and other official orders. The FIR also refers to a previous case of a similar nature registered against him in Crime No. 8 of 2013 by the District Crime Branch, Pudukottai.
Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, the CCB had initiated action against Mr. Anbil Mahesh under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Searches by CCB
On September 16, the CCB conducted searches at nine locations, including four premises linked to Mr. Anbil Mahesh in Chennai and Tiruchi, as well as those linked to his aides Valadi Karthik, Arun Prakash and Prakash. Property documents, bank details, cheques and electronic devices were seized. Mr. Anbil Mahesh was also questioned in connection with the case.
The ED subsequently obtained the case records from the CCB and launched its investigation to trace the alleged proceeds of the offence and the money trail.
Mr. Arasakumar was granted ‘default bail’ by a special court last Tuesday after the investigating agency failed to file its final report within the mandatory 90-day period.
