Former Minister Anbil Mahesh granted three-day police remand in corruption case

According to a report by The Hindu, a special court for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Chennai, on Monday, 2 November 2026, has granted the Greater Chennai Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) 3 days of police custody of DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. This action has been taken in an alleged multi-crore bribery case involving irregularities in granting various approvals to private schools.

Poyyamozhi, who served as the School Education Minister during the previous DMK government tenure (2021-26), was recently arrested by the CCB. The arrest followed a complaint by an association of private schools alleging that crores of rupees were extorted for permanent recognition. He is currently lodged in Chennai's Puzhal Central Prison.

Police suspect that bribes amounting to up to ₹400 crore may have been collected in this case. The police had sought 5 days of police remand to interrogate him. Previously, the court had directed that a response be filed on Poyyamozhi's bail application by 2 November.

On Monday, 2 November 2026, Poyyamozhi was brought from Puzhal jail and produced before Special Court Judge L.S. Satyamurthy. During the hearing, the judge asked the police if they had any objection to video recording important parts of the interrogation. The police responded that the entire proceeding could not be video recorded. The former minister's lawyer requested that the interrogation proceedings, excluding time spent in transit, be video recorded.

Partially allowing the police application, the judge permitted the CCB to interrogate Poyyamozhi from 1 pm on 2 November to 5 pm on 4 November, subject to certain conditions.

The police must first take him to Chennai's Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to obtain a fitness certificate for interrogation and secure a medical certificate. After the interrogation is completed, a new medical fitness certificate must also be obtained and produced when he is presented in court.

The court has allowed his representing lawyer to be present during the interrogation, on the condition that the lawyer remains at a distance where they cannot hear the questions being asked or the answers being given. Video recording of the interrogation shall be mandatory.

Additionally, the judge directed the police to allow Poyyamozhi to meet his lawyer for 10 minutes every evening. The police must not subject him to any form of physical or mental harassment and must produce him before the court in good health after the interrogation.

The police were also ordered to strictly follow previous court orders regarding his food, medicines, and other necessities during custody. The court will now hear his bail application and the application to recover certain electronic devices seized by the police on 5 November.