CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the alleged Rs 100-crore private school approval fraud involving BT Arasakumar and former school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi of the DMK.
According to ED sources, the agency recently registered the case based on an FIR of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police and began its probe a few weeks ago.
The development came to light two days after Arasakumar was granted default bail by the Special Court for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chennai, on Tuesday after the CCB failed to file its final report within the stipulated 90 days.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by DC Elangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. He alleged that Arasakumar, who headed an unregistered ‘Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association’, collected around Rs 100 crore from school managements by promising permanent recognition, upgradation, DTCP approvals and other clearances. However, Arasakumar neither kept his promise nor refunded the money, he added.
The CCB arrested Arasakumar on June 27, and he was detained under the Goondas Act on July 14. On September 16, the CCB booked Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Searches held at places linked to Anbil Mahesh
CCB searched premises linked to Poyyamozhi and his aide in Chennai and Tiruchy, including his Thennur residence. Searches were later conducted in Kallakurichi at places linked to Muthukumar, an absconding accused in the case.
Meanwhile, the ED’s requests to prosecute former DMK ministers V Senthil Balaji and Anitha R Radhakrishnan in separate cases remain pending with Governor RV Arlekar.
The ED first sought sanction against Balaji in May 2025, but the file shuttled between Lok Bhavan and the previous DMK government, which insisted the state’s sanction was required. The TVK government forwarded the files to Lok Bhavan in May, but no decision has been taken yet.