Chennai Police Arrest Man for Cheating Private Schools of Over ₹100 Crore
The Central Crime Branch of the Greater Chennai Police arrested a 59-year-old man in Chennai on Saturday, June 27, 2026, for allegedly defrauding private school managements across Tamil Nadu of more than ₹100 crore. The accused, B.T. Arasakumar, was taken into custody after allegedly promising the schools that he could secure necessary government approvals and statutory recognitions for their institutions.
Arasakumar allegedly operated an unregistered organisation under the name of the 'Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association'. According to the police, the accused claimed to possess the political and bureaucratic influence required to obtain critical clearances. These included permanent recognition, school upgradation, and approvals from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), alongside other statutory clearances.
The criminal investigation began after a formal complaint was filed by Ilangovan, who serves as the secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. The complainant alleged that over a period of two years, several private school managements facing difficulties in obtaining official approvals were induced to pay large sums of money to Arasakumar. The accused had assured them that he would secure the required clearances for their respective schools.
However, police officials stated that Arasakumar neither obtained the promised approvals for the schools nor refunded any of the money he had collected from the affected managements.
Following the complaint, the Central Crime Branch registered a case and initiated an investigation. Acting on the direct orders of Chennai Police Commissioner A. Amalraj, a special team from the Economic Documents Fraud (EDF-III) Wing was formed to handle the case. Led by Assistant Commissioner V.E. Senthil, the special team tracked down and arrested Arasakumar on Saturday.
The police confirmed that the accused would be interrogated and subsequently produced before the court.
