Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu MLA and main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader V Muthukumar, who had been absconding in connection with an alleged bribery racket involving the grant of recognition to private schools, surrendered before the Chennai Special Court for Prevention of Corruption on Thursday. The court subsequently remanded him to judicial custody until November 12.
The case involves allegations that more than Rs 100 crore was collected from private school managements under the pretext of securing official recognition and statutory approvals during the previous DMK regime. Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poiyamozhi was arrested by the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on October 26 after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition.
Muthukumar's surrender comes amid further legal proceedings against Anbil Mahesh, who is currently lodged in Puzhal prison.
The CCB police filed a petition before the Chennai Special Court for Prevention of Corruption on October 28, seeking five days of police custody of Anbil Mahesh for interrogation.
According to the petition, custodial interrogation is necessary to establish the details of his alleged connections with Muthukumar, DMDK MLA who represented Vridhachalam constituency from 2011 to 2016, identify the recipients of the money and determine the amounts allegedly paid to different individuals.
The police also sought to establish the identities and roles of suspected intermediaries and trace the financial transactions linked to the alleged collection of money from private schools.
Anbil Mahesh has separately filed a bail application before the special court. The proceedings also involve a petition seeking the return of documents seized during the investigation.
Following Muthukumar's surrender on Thursday morning, several matters connected with the case, including Anbil Mahesh's bail application, the plea for the return of seized documents and the police request for five days of custodial interrogation, came up for hearing before Judge L S Sathiyamurthy.
The police sought an adjournment, following which the judge directed them to file their response and postponed the hearing to November 2.
Muthukumar told the court that he had surrendered voluntarily and without any external pressure. The judge accepted his surrender and ordered that he be remanded to judicial custody until November 12.
The court also directed the authorities to grant him Class I prisoner status, provide necessary medical treatment and permit him to wear his own clothes. The judge further instructed the authorities to ensure that Muthukumar was not subjected to mistreatment while in custody.
The case originated from a complaint filed by the General Secretary of the Private Schools Association, alleging that large sums had been collected from school managements by promising government recognition and other statutory approvals.
The CCB subsequently registered a case and expanded its investigation into the suspected financial transactions and the alleged involvement of individuals linked to the process of granting recognition to private educational institutions.
Anbil Mahesh was arrested after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea on October 26. During the bail hearing, the prosecution argued that his custodial interrogation was necessary to establish the alleged money trail and identify other individuals involved.
The prosecution also referred to alleged financial transactions involving Muthukumar and other intermediarie