A special court in Chennai on Tuesday refused bail to former Tamil Nadu minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, keeping the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader in custody in a corruption investigation that alleges cash payments influenced approvals for private schools.
Court ruling
Judge L. S. Sathiyamurthy of the special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases dismissed Poyyamozhi’s bail petition, according to Indian Express live reporting from the capital of Tamil Nadu. Poyyamozhi had sought release while investigators continue to trace financial flows tied to school-management permissions during his tenure as school education minister.
Police arrested him on 26 October after the Madras High Court declined anticipatory bail. The high court’s earlier order, quoted in the same coverage, held that investigators needed custody to question him about allegations that money collected from school managements was routed as “party fund” payments whose “final destination” could not be established without custodial interrogation.
Political backdrop
Poyyamozhi was a prominent face of the DMK’s education expansion agenda in Tamil Nadu, a state where private school licences and fee structures draw intense legislative scrutiny. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have used the case to attack the ruling DMK on corruption grounds, while party colleagues portray the probe as politically motivated.
The DMK has not removed him from organisational posts since his arrest, but his continued detention prevents him from attending the state assembly or campaigning in local bodies where education policy remains a live voter issue.
Investigation status
Prosecutors have not publicly detailed the full charge sheet in court filings reviewed by reporters on Tuesday. Investigators are believed to be examining bank transfers, diary entries from intermediaries, and statements from school trust managers who allegedly paid to accelerate recognition letters.
Legal analysts note that bail denials in corruption cases often hinge on whether courts believe an accused might influence witnesses or destroy documents if released. Poyyamozhi’s counsel can renew the application after further investigation milestones or appeal through higher courts, though no timetable was announced in Tuesday’s hearing.
What happens next
The special court is expected to schedule evidence-collection hearings while the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption continues interviews with education department officials who served under Poyyamozhi. Tamil Nadu’s school education department has said routine approvals continue under interim ministers, but any policy announcements he was slated to make remain on hold.
For the DMK, the case intersects with upcoming local elections where the party will need to reassure parents and teacher unions that procurement and recognition processes remain above board while one of its former ministers remains behind bars.
Defence advocates argued on Tuesday that Poyyamozhi had cooperated with summonses before his arrest and posed no flight risk, but the judge cited the scale of documentary evidence still to be recovered from education department servers. Tuesday’s order does not preclude bail later if investigators complete key interviews and the court accepts updated surety conditions.