Madras High Court to Hear Bail Plea of Former Tamil Nadu Minister Ambil Mahesh in School Approval Scam
The Madras High Court will hear Ambil Maheshs bail plea related to a school approval scam in Tamil Nadu, amid ongoing judicial proceedings.
Chennai, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : The Madras High Court is set to hear the bail application of former Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Ambil Mahesh on Thursday. Mahesh is currently in judicial custody over allegations that millions were collected from private schools under the guise of party donations.
These allegations pertain to payments purportedly solicited in exchange for permanent recognition and other permissions for private schools in Tamil Nadu. The funds raised form the basis of a bribery case filed against the former minister. After a special court handling corruption cases denied his bail request, Mahesh has approached the High Court seeking release while criminal proceedings are ongoing.
Senior lawyer P. Wilson, representing Mahesh, brought the bail application before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan and requested an expedited hearing. The judge indicated that the hearing could take place on Thursday, contingent upon the completion of necessary procedural formalities.
In this case, P. D. Arasakumar has already been arrested. Former legislators Muthukumaran and Saravanan have also surrendered in connection with the same allegations, which involve collecting money related to school recognition and permissions.
Alongside his bail request, Mahesh has filed a separate petition in the High Court seeking to quash the case against him. This petition challenges the continuation of criminal proceedings and is distinct from his bail application. Wilson also requested a postponement for the hearing on the quashing petition, which Justice Lakshminarayanan granted, rescheduling it for November 30.
Thus, the two petitions will proceed separately: the bail application may be considered on Thursday, while the challenge to quash the case will be addressed later this month. Following the special court’s denial of bail, Mahesh remains in custody.
The proceedings on Thursday will focus on his release request; the question of whether the case should be dismissed will be addressed on the postponed date. Judicial decisions regarding the allegations are still pending.
