7:30 am raids on Tamil Nadu ex-minister in private-school fraud case

A team from the Central Crime Branch, Chennai City, on Wednesday launched searches at the Tiruchi residence of former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in connection with an investigation into an alleged multi-crore fraud involving private schools during the previous DMK government.

A five-member police team began the search around 7.30 am at Poyyamozhi’s residence in Thennur Anna Nagar in Tiruchi. Police personnel were stationed outside the house as the operation continued. Police sources said searches were also conducted at six locations in Chennai and Tiruchi linked to the former minister.

The investigation concerns allegations that large sums of money were collected from private-school managements with promises of securing official clearances, including upgrading schools, obtaining permanent recognition and getting approvals for building plans.

The Central Crime Branch had earlier registered a case and arrested B T Arasakumar, who is accused of collecting around Rs 100 crore from private-school managements for these purposes. Arasakumar had operated an unregistered organisation called the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association.

Poyyamozhi held the School Education portfolio when the alleged transactions took place. Veteran DMK leader and former minister K N Nehru was denied permission to enter Poyyamozhi’s residence as the search was in progress.

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.

Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.

Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.

Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.

Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More