CHENNAI, Oct. 26 -- Former Tamil Nadu school education minister and senior DMK leader Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested by the Central Crime Branch police on Monday in an alleged Rs.100-crore financial fraud case, police said.

The arrest came hours after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition in a case involving alleged payments collected from private school managements in exchange for approvals and recognition.

According to the Crime Branch, Poyyamozhi allegedly collected money in the name of "party funds" from more than 1,000 private schools during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, when he was the school education minister. He was also booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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