Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 16 (ANI): DMK Principal Secretary and former Minister KN Nehru on Wednesday accused the state administration of resorting to political intimidation, alleging that searches targeting active party functionaries were part of a deliberate attempt to intimidate them.
Speaking outside the Tiruchirappalli residence of former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, where Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials were conducting a search, Nehru said he spoke to Anbil Mahesh over the phone before leaving for a scheduled party programme near the Chathiram Bus Stand.
"Those who are working very actively in the DMK are being deliberately intimidated in the name of searches," Nehru told reporters, characterising the actions as a calculated “political vendetta by the Tamil Nadu government.”
The DMK leader said the party would face the matter and prove its innocence in court.
"We will prove through the court that we are innocent and come out again," he added.
The remarks came after Nehru visited the residence of Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in Tiruchirappalli amid an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in the approval of private schools during the previous administration.
In a major crackdown, the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday searched the Anna Nagar residence of former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in Thennur, Tiruchirappalli.
Sources said the early-morning raid followed a case involving alleged bribery, in which up to Rs 100 crore was reportedly collected from private schools in exchange for government approvals. Simultaneous searches were also conducted at multiple linked locations in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli to collect evidence.
Police officials confirmed that the multi-city investigation is actively underway to trace the illicit financial trails involved in the alleged approval racket.
Poyyamozhi, a two-time MLA from Thiruverumbur who oversaw the School Education portfolio under the previous DMK administration before his defeat in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, now finds his premises under intense police scrutiny as the probe unfolds.
Authorities stated that ongoing searches aim to inspect documents and verify transactions tied to private school management bodies as part of the formal inquiry.
Earlier in September, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted searches at the residence and premises linked to former Tamil Nadu minister KN Nehru in Thillai Nagar, Tiruchirappalli.
During the searches, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) cadres gathered outside Nehru’s residence.
Former Tamil Nadu minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi also visited Nehru’s residence during the vigilance department searches.
The case was registered against Nehru and others by the DVAC in connection with alleged irregularities in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department. The case relates to allegations of corruption in recruitment, contract allocation and transfers during Nehru’s tenure as the minister in charge of the department.
The FIR was registered after the Madras High Court directed the DVAC to initiate a probe into allegations raised in connection with the department. The agency named Nehru, his relatives and several officials in the case.
The allegations include an alleged Rs 888 crore cash-for-jobs scam, in which money was allegedly collected from candidates in exchange for government jobs, along with claims of irregularities in contracts worth around Rs 1,020 crore and alleged illegal transfers and postings linked to the department.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier shared details of the alleged irregularities with the state authorities, following which the matter came under scrutiny.
However, the Madras High Court later granted an interim stay on further vigilance action and proceedings against the accused, while legal proceedings in the matter continue. (ANI)
"Searches being used to intimidate active leaders": KN Nehru slams CCB searches; calls it 'political vendetta'
