CCB sought I-T returns filed by me, my wife and mother-in-law for last 10 years, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi tells Madras High Court

Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi (DMK) has told the Madras High Court that the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) police, probing an over ₹100 crore fraud case during his stint as a Minister, had directed him to submit the income tax returns filed by him, his wife Janani and mother-in-law Latha Kailasam for the last 10 assessment years.

In his anticipatory bail plea before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, the petitioner said the police had issued a notice to him on October 6, 2026, directing him to produce the I-T returns from the assessment year 2015-16. The investigating agency wanted the details to be submitted on or before October 8, 2026, and the direction was complied with partially.

The former Minister said he had submitted his I-T returns from the year 2019-20, his wife had submitted it from the year 2017-18 and his mother-in-law, currently in the United States, had submitted her returns from the assessment year 2022-23 to 2025-26. He said the reason for not being able to immediately produce the older I-T returns was because of change in auditor.

The petitioner told the court he had been fully cooperating with the investigation and had responded to police notices promptly. He claimed he did not evade or attempt to abscond or obstruct the course of investigation. Undertaking that he was willing to cooperate in the future too, he said, therefore, there was no necessity or justification for arresting him.

Apprehending arrest “in view of the change in the political situation in the State” and particularly because he was a “prominent leader” of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the principal opposition party in the State, the petitioner said the investigation could be conducted effectively even without his arrest or subjecting him to custodial interrogation.

He also told the court there was no allegation or material to suggest that he was likely to abscond, tamper with evidence, influence the witnesses or otherwise interfere or tamper with the investigation. In the absence of such circumstances, custodial interrogation would serve no purpose. Arrest would be unnecessary and disproportionate to the requirements of investigation, he added.

Since Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani sought a day’s time to file a counter affidavit to the advance bail plea, the judge on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the matter to Friday.