Former Tamil Nadu school education minister and senior DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested by the Central Crime Branch police on Monday in an alleged ₹ 100-crore financial fraud case, police said.
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He was also booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The police have taken him (Poyyamozhi) away, claiming that an advocate cannot be allowed. BJP Tamil Nadu spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy also questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest. In a social media post, he referred to a challenge allegedly issued by Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin in the legislative Assembly, asking the TVK government to produce evidence and arrest those accused of wrongdoing.
A police officer familiar with the case said the FIR was registered in June 2026, a month after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) replaced the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Poyyamozhi allegedly collected money in the name of “party funds” from more than 1,000 private schools during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, when he was the school education minister, according to the Crime Branch. Three other persons — B T Arasakumar, Suresh and Raja — were arrested last month, the officer said. Speaking to reporters, he said, “the Supreme Court has clearly laid down the law that, at the very least, an accused person’s advocate has the right to be present. “What kind of anger do they (TVK government) have against Anbil Mahesh,” he asked.
