Former TN Minister Anbil Mahesh's Home Raided in Rs 100 Crore School Bribery Scandal

It was a Wednesday, just last week, when the quiet of former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi's Anna Nagar residence in Tiruchirappalli was abruptly shattered. Officials from the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) swept in, initiating an extensive search, a stark visual signal of the serious allegations now swirling around him. These weren't isolated incidents, mind you. Simultaneously, a total of nine locations were under the scanner across Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, including premises connected to his close associates, like Valadi Karthik and Arun Prakash. It was an eight-hour marathon of meticulous searching, leaving no stone unturned, you could say.

At the heart of this rather dramatic unfolding is an alleged bribery scandal, a whopping Rs 100 crore affair, linked directly to private school approvals. Imagine, if you will, money reportedly changing hands—enormous sums—from 177 private school managements. The alleged quid pro quo? Promises of permanent recognition, school upgradation, those crucial Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) clearances, and various other government green lights. This all supposedly transpired during Poyyamozhi's tenure as School Education Minister, between 2024 and 2026.

And what did investigators find? A trove of evidence, at least that's what they suggest. We're talking 118 documents pertinent to the case, property deeds, bank statements, chequebooks—all the financial paper trail one might expect. Plus, a whole array of digital devices: 18 mobile phones, three laptops, eight pen drives, a couple of desktop computers, even a tablet and an Apple iPad. It paints a picture, doesn't it, of a very thorough, very digital investigation into the alleged misconduct.

This investigation, it seems, wasn't just pulled out of thin air. It actually kicked off with a complaint from the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. Already, a 59-year-old named B.T. Arasakumar, who apparently ran an unregistered TN Private Schools Association, was arrested back in June of 2026. He's accused of being the one who allegedly collected that eye-watering Rs 100 crore. Two others, Suresh and Raja, have also been taken into custody. Now, Poyyamozhi himself, a two-time MLA from Thiruverumbur, has been officially named an accused and booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He's been summoned to appear before the CCB for further questioning this coming Friday, September 18th, 2026—a date that's surely looming large for him.

Of course, a situation like this rarely occurs in a political vacuum. Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has been quite vocal, steadfastly asserting his innocence. He told reporters, "I have no guilt and no fear," framing these raids as nothing more than politically motivated retribution. And he's not alone in that sentiment; DMK chief M.K. Stalin has echoed the view, branding the whole action as "political vendetta." This isn't the first time, either, that a former DMK minister has found themselves under the glare of corruption allegations since the current TVK government took the reins. Just earlier this month, for instance, K.N. Nehru's premises were raided in a separate, equally large alleged scam involving municipal administration—though, interestingly, the Madras High Court did grant an interim stay on further action in that particular case. As the legal proceedings continue, the spotlight remains firmly on Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and the serious questions surrounding his tenure.