CCB sought I-T returns filed by me, my wife and mother-in-law for last 10 years: Anbil Mahesh tells Madras HC
Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has told the Madras High Court that the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB), which is investigating an alleged fraud of over ₹100 crore during his tenure as minister, directed him to furnish the income tax returns filed by him, his wife and his mother-in-law for the last 10 assessment years.
Anticipatory bail plea details
Appearing before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan on an anticipatory bail petition, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader said the CCB had issued a notice on October 6, 2026, instructing him to submit I-T returns from the assessment year 2015–16. The notice called for the documents to be provided on or before October 8, 2026. He told the court that he had complied with the direction in part.
Submissions made to the police
According to the petition, Poyyamozhi submitted his own I-T returns starting from the assessment year 2019–20. His wife, Janani, provided returns beginning from 2017–18, while his mother-in-law, Latha Kailasam—who is currently in the United States—submitted returns for the period from the assessment years 2022–23 to 2025–26.
The petitioner said older returns could not be produced immediately due to a change in auditor. He maintained that this was the sole reason for the delay and that steps were being taken to obtain and furnish the remaining records as required.
Petitioner’s stance on arrest and cooperation
Poyyamozhi asserted that he has been fully cooperating with the investigation and has responded promptly to all notices issued by the police. He told the court that he has neither evaded the investigation nor attempted to obstruct it, and he undertook to continue cooperating as required.
Apprehending arrest “in view of the change in the political situation in the State” and particularly because he is a “prominent leader” of the DMK, now the principal opposition party, the petitioner argued that the probe could proceed effectively without his arrest or custodial interrogation.
He further submitted that there is no allegation or material to suggest that he is likely to abscond, tamper with evidence, influence witnesses or otherwise interfere with the investigation. In the absence of such circumstances, he contended, custodial interrogation would serve no purpose and any arrest would be unnecessary and disproportionate.
Context of the investigation
The CCB is probing an alleged fraud exceeding ₹100 crore said to have occurred during Poyyamozhi’s stint as School Education Minister. While the petition outlines the scope of financial records sought by investigators—including a decade of income tax filings by him and his immediate family members—it does not elaborate on the specific contours of the alleged wrongdoing. The petitioner has framed the I-T return request as part of the ongoing inquiry into his financial affairs during and after his ministerial tenure.
What happens next
When the matter was taken up, Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani sought a day’s time to file a counter affidavit to the anticipatory bail application. The court granted the request, and the judge adjourned the hearing to Friday.
Significance
The case underscores the intensifying scrutiny around alleged financial irregularities linked to former office-bearers and highlights the growing use of comprehensive financial record requisitions in white-collar crime investigations. The High Court’s decision on the anticipatory bail plea will determine whether Poyyamozhi must face custodial interrogation or continue cooperating with investigators while remaining at liberty.
