The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police has urged school managements to file complaints against P.T. Arasakumar, 59, who was arrested on Saturday for allegedly cheating private schools across Tamil Nadu of about ₹100 crore by promising to obtain government approvals.Based on a complaint lodged by Elangovan, the Secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, the CCB registered a case and launched an investigation into the alleged fraud.According to the complainant, Arasakumar, who allegedly projected himself as the president of an unregistered body called ‘Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association’, along with a few associates, collected large sums of money from private school managements across Tamil Nadu.Fake promisesThe accused allegedly promised to secure permanent recognition, school upgradation approvals, and other government permissions.Arasukumar failed to obtain the promised approvals and did not return the money collected from the schools.The CCB said that during the investigation, police examined documents, bank transaction records, and statements obtained from the school managements.The investigation has revealed that money was collected from schools across multiple districts in Tamil Nadu.Investigators continue to compile details of the affected schools and identify the districts involved.The prime accused, Arasakumar, alias Pudukottai Thiagarajan Arasakumar, was arrested from his residence in Chennai on Saturday.The CCB said its officers suspect that nearly ₹100 crore might have been collected from private schools across the State on the promise of securing permanent recognition, school upgradation, DTCP approvals, building permissions, and other government clearances.The investigation is continuing to identify other persons involved in the alleged fraud and collect additional evidence. Police have appealed to private school managements that believe they were cheated in a similar manner to approach the CCB and file complaints. Published - June 30, 2026 12:36 am IST