₹100 Crore School Fraud Case: Two More Arrested, 61 Bank Accounts Frozen

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police has arrested two more individuals in connection with an alleged ₹100-crore fraud targeting private school administrators across Tamil Nadu, as the investigation into the suspected network continues.

The arrested persons have been identified as Arokiyaraj alias Raja, 39, from Madurai district, and Suresh, 49, from Tiruchirappalli district, police said on Friday. The duo were allegedly linked to the prime accused, B T Arasukumar, who is accused of collecting large sums from private school administrators by promising to secure various pending government approvals.

The case was registered following a complaint by D C Elangovan of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. According to the complaint, Arasukumar, who headed an unregistered organisation called the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, allegedly cheated school administrators by claiming he could facilitate approvals related to Permanent Recognition, school upgradation, DTCP building permits and Right to Education (RTE) clearances.

Arasukumar was arrested from his Chennai residence on June 27. After being questioned in police custody for four days, he was subsequently detained under the Goondas Act on July 13 and lodged in Puzhal prison.

As part of the investigation, police found that Arasukumar had allegedly organised meetings with school administrators at a private hotel in Vadapalani and a marriage hall in Porur since 2024 to collect money. Investigators have now widened the probe into his network, leading to the arrest of Arokiyaraj and Suresh on July 23.

Police alleged that the two accused, despite having no association with school administration, acted at Arasukumar's direction to contact school officials and collect money from them. They were produced before a court and remanded to Puzhal prison.

The investigation has also resulted in the freezing of 61 bank accounts belonging to Arasukumar and his associates, officials said. The CCB is continuing to examine the financial transactions, identify other individuals allegedly involved in the network and determine the full extent of the money collected from private school administrators.