Chennai: Former DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was on Monday, October 26, produced before a court here following his arrest in a corruption case, and he was remanded to judicial custody till November 6.
Poyyamozhi, held in the graft case involving alleged collection of money from private school managements by promising government recognition and various statutory approvals, was produced before the Special Court for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Chennai at 10:10 pm after a medical check-up at a government hospital.
After hearing the arguments of defence lawyers, Wilson and Saravanan, and Public Prosecutor, John Sathyan, Judge L S Sathiyamurthy remanded Poyyamozhi to judicial custody till November 6.
In his argument, Saravanan strongly objected to police arresting Poyyamozhi from the office of senior advocate Wilson, and said such an incident had never happened before.
Wilson said procedures for arrest were not followed, and he contended that the arrest was made by police when he was discussing legal steps in his office with Poyyamozhi, following the rejection of the former minister’s anticipatory bail plea by the Madras High Court.
They argued against the grant of remand and said sanction was not obtained from the competent authority, the Governor, for filing a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Sathyan submitted that police waited for about an hour outside the office of the counsel and only then did they arrest the former minister.
Citing the order of the Madras High Court dismissing the advance bail plea, the prosecutor said the “money trail” needs to be traced and about Rs 400 crore has changed hands, according to complaints.
The high court has also said in its order that custodial interrogation is warranted.
The prosecution sought judicial custody, stating that there are chances of destroying evidence and influencing witnesses.
After the Madras High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by Poyyamozhi, police arrested him on Monday evening.
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Source: The Siasat Daily
