Chennai | DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested on Monday in connection with a Rs 100 crore private schools "scam," police said.

Sources said Mahesh was picked up from Aminjikarai in the city and escorted to the office of Commissioner of Police shortly after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition.

Earlier in the day, Justice V Lakshminarayanan denied the pre-arrest bail plea in connection with the alleged scam involving the issuance of recognition and statutory clearances to private schools. The judge had previously reserved orders on the matter on October 16.

The Tamil Nadu government had strongly opposed the bail plea, describing the case as one involving "financial terrorism".

Mahesh is accused of collecting money from over 1,000 private school managements in the guise of a "party fund" during his tenure as School Education Minister (2021-26), in exchange for permanent recognition and other administrative approvals.

The FIR includes charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) following a complaint initially brought forward by the former General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the suspected financial trail related to the alleged scam.