Anbil Mahesh arrested is the biggest political headline in Tamil Nadu today. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police took former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi into custody on Monday, October 26, 2026. The arrest came hours after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
The case centres on an alleged scheme to collect money from private school managements. Police say managements paid money, described as a “party fund”, in return for permanent recognition and other approvals. According to PTI, the alleged scam is worth about ₹100 crore. Mahesh served as School Education Minister from 2021 to 2026.
The CCB had earlier named a man called Arasakumar in the case. He allegedly headed an unregistered body called the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association. Police say he collected money from managements by promising to arrange official approvals. As the probe moved ahead, investigators then named Mahesh as an accused under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was necessary. In particular, it wants to trace where the money went. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has reportedly started its own money laundering case.
The DMK has described the case as political vendetta. However, the High Court declined to protect him from arrest at this stage. The extent of his alleged role has yet to be established.
All of these claims remain allegations. The investigation is continuing, and the court will decide the matter on the evidence. We will update this report as official details come in.
