TN private school cheating case: Former DMK MLA surrenders, remanded till Nov 12

Chennai, Oct 29 (IANS) Former DMK MLA Muthukumar surrendered before a special court in Chennai on Thursday in connection with an alleged private school cheating case involving more than Rs 100 crore, a day after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

Judge L.S. Sathyamurthy of the special court dealing with cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act remanded him to judicial custody until November 12 and directed that he be lodged at Puzhal Central Prison.

The court also accepted requests made by Muthukumar concerning the conditions of his detention. It directed prison authorities to provide him with first-class facilities, ensure necessary medical treatment and allow him to wear his own clothes during his incarceration.

Muthukumar’s surrender followed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his application for anticipatory bail on October 28. He appeared before the Chennai court the following day, after failing to secure protection from arrest.

The case is being investigated by the Central Crime Branch of the Greater Chennai Police. Before Muthukumar’s surrender, investigators had arrested four people, including former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. The others arrested are B.T. Arasakumar, president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, and two men identified as Suresh and Raja.

The alleged cheating case, involving a sum exceeding Rs 100 crore, has thus brought a former school education minister, a former legislator and the head of a private schools association within the ambit of the police investigation.

Thursday’s proceedings centred on Muthukumar’s surrender, his judicial remand and the arrangements sought for his stay in prison. The judge’s directions covered both his placement at Puzhal Central Prison and the facilities to be provided there.

The order requires the prison administration to ensure that necessary medical care is available to him, alongside the other facilities permitted by the court.

With the remand order, Muthukumar will remain in judicial custody until November 12, unless a subsequent court order changes his custody status.

His surrender marks the latest development in the investigation, following the four earlier arrests and the Supreme Court proceedings concerning his request for anticipatory bail.

The allegations against the accused remain subject to investigation and adjudication. The rejection of anticipatory bail and the subsequent judicial remand do not amount to a finding of guilt in the alleged cheating case.

–IANS

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