CHENNAI: BT Arasakumar, accused of collecting more than Rs 100 crore from private school administrators by promising to secure government approvals, was granted default bail by the Special Courts for Prevention of Corruption Act cases, Chennai, on Tuesday after the investigating agency failed to file its final report within the stipulated 90 days. Special Judge LS Sathiyamurthy held that Arasakumar had acquired the statutory right to default bail, noting that 92 days had elapsed since his remand without the final report being filed.
The case was registered based on complaints that large sums were allegedly collected from private school managements on the promise of securing government recognition, permissions, approvals and other statutory clearances.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police, meanwhile, conducted searches on five premises across the city on Tuesday linked to Arasakumar, relatives of another accused Muthukumar and associates of former school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.
Police seized a laptop and 44 documents during the searches. The CCB sought more time, citing further searches to collect evidence. However, the court noted that the Madras High Court had revoked Arasakumar’s detention under the Goondas Act on September 28 and ordered Arasakumar’s release on a Rs 25,000 bond with two sureties.