Senior counsel P. Wilson on Thursday (October 29, 2026) complained to the Madras High Court that Central Crime Branch (CCB) police personnel barged into his office in Chennai on October 26, 2026 to arrest former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi (DMK) in a case booked on charges of allegedly collecting over ₹400 crore towards party fund from more than 177 private school managements in the State.
Appearing before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, who is seized of a plea by the former Minister to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him, the senior counsel said that the petitioner was at his office on Nelson Manickam Road at about 3 p.m. on Monday to discuss the further course of legal action to be taken pursuant to the dismissal of his anticipatory bail petition by the High Court.
Mr. Wilson questioned the legality of the police action during the court proceedings, asking, “We were discussing at our office regarding further course of legal action. About three vans of 40 policemen came to our office. They blocked the entrance, barged into the office and arrested him. The place of arrest has been shown as my office. This happened in the middle of the consultation Milord, are we living in a police state?” He also insisted upon the framing of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Key Points Of The Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi Arrest
- Senior advocate P. Wilson stated that CCB police entered his Chennai office on October 26, 2026, to arrest former Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.
- The case involves allegations of collecting over ₹400 crore towards party fund from more than 177 private school managements.
- State Public Prosecutor R. John Sathyan and Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani denied the arrest took place inside the lawyer’s office, claiming the police were invited inside.
- Justice V. Lakshminarayanan adjourned the hearing on the FIR quash plea to November 10, 2026.
Prosecution Arguments And Defence Rebuttals
Denying the claims made by the senior counsel, State Public Prosecutor R. John Sathyan and Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani told the court that the police were conscious of the law that an accused could not be arrested inside an advocate’s office. They asserted that the former Minister was not arrested inside the lawyer’s office. The SPP stated that the police were invited into the lawyer’s office after waiting outside for about 90 minutes.
Mr. Anbumani said that the former Minister’s counsel-on-record Richardson Wilson had called the policemen inside the office. “It was a ploy. He called the policemen to come inside the office and has the audacity to come and complain to this court,” the APP added. However, Mr. Richardson denied calling the policemen inside and accused the APP of not instructing the SPP properly.
After hearing both sides, Justice Lakshminarayanan pointed out that district judge L.S. Sathyamurthy did not appear to have accepted the argument of the former Minister having been arrested inside the lawyer’s office while remanding him in judicial custody during the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday. Mr. Wilson replied that he would challenge the finding given by the district judge.
Heated Exchange And Court Directions
As arguments led to a heated exchange between the prosecution and defense counsel, the SPP remarked, “This is unfortunate. Let him not distort facts. This is what is happening in this case. Personal attacks are happening. We are also lawyers. This (public prosecutor) is not a permanent position. We don’t have any political affiliations. We are only doing our duty.”
Mr. Sathyan added that he had asked the policemen how they could enter a lawyer’s office, and the instantaneous answer was that they were invited in. “He (the investigating officer in the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police attached to CCB) said, I have material to show that I was invited into his office. If it is so required, we will place the material before the court,” the SPP noted.
Justice Lakshminarayanan directed Mr. Richardson to produce the CCTV footage from his office along with the audio recording, as the footage produced on Thursday contained only visuals and no audio. The judge subsequently adjourned the hearing on the FIR quash plea to November 10, 2026, noting that a similar question of law had to be decided in another case related to former Minister E.V. Velu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi arrest case about?
The case involves allegations that former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi collected over ₹400 crore towards party fund from more than 177 private school managements in Tamil Nadu.
When is the next court hearing on the Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi FIR quash plea?
Justice V. Lakshminarayanan adjourned the hearing on the FIR quash plea concerning Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi to November 10, 2026.
Stay Updated with the Latest News and Current Affairs
Discover more from Current Affairs World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
