Former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has petitioned the Madras High Court to quash a First Information Report registered against him by the Chennai Central Crime Branch police in a fraud case exceeding ₹100 crore, arguing that the investigation lacks valid legal authorization.
In the petition, Poyyamozhi contends that the investigation is unsustainable because the underlying sanction was issued by the Tamil Nadu State government rather than the Governor. The plea asserts that under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Governor is the sole competent authority to grant sanction before law enforcement can initiate an investigation into alleged offenses committed by a public servant acting in the discharge of official functions.
According to court filings submitted through counsel Richardson Wilson, the Public department issued investigative sanction via a government letter dated June 23, 2026. Poyyamozhi argues that this letter is non-est in law and legally incapable of sustaining either the FIR or the subsequent police inquiry.
On September 28, 2026, Justice Lakshminarayanan granted Poyyamozhi’s application to dispense with producing the original copy of the FIR. The procedural ruling permits the High Court Registry to formally number the main petition seeking to quash the case on multiple legal grounds, including the validity of the sanction.
The court documents detail that the Central Crime Branch added charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, by submitting an FIR alteration report to a metropolitan magistrate’s court at Egmore on September 9, 2026. However, the petition highlights that the alteration report fails to specify any overt act by Poyyamozhi or allege that he received illegal gratification from private school managements seeking school upgrades or permanent recognition.
Instead, the petition notes that witness statements assembled by investigators indicate only that unidentified third parties allegedly collected funds using Poyyamozhi’s name.
Poyyamozhi further characterized the quick progression of the case as politically motivated, stating in the petition that the haste in registering the FIR following a regime change in Tamil Nadu reflects a biased investigation driven by political retaliation.
Sources:
– [The Hindu – National](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/only-governor-not-government-can-grant-sanction-to-conduct-investigation-against-me-in-100-crore-fraud-case-anbil-mahesh-poyyamozhi-claims-before-madras-high-court/article71519088.ece)
Source: The Hindu – National
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Story synopsis gathered from: The Hindu – National — source
