Investigators from multiple agencies including the Enforcement Directorate and income tax authorities carried out coordinated pre-dawn raids on the morning of Tuesday at properties belonging to a former Tamil Nadu minister who is now facing scrutiny over alleged malpractices linked to the state's unaided private school sector.

The operations began at approximately 7:30 am across several locations in Chennai and nearby districts, where officials entered residential premises, office spaces, and the homes of close associates and family members of the former minister. Search teams were seen carrying bags and documents out of the premises as local residents gathered to watch the proceedings.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the probe centres on allegations of financial irregularities in the allocation of land and recognition to certain private schools during the period when the former minister held portfolio responsibility for the education department. Investigators are said to be examining whether preferential treatment was shown to specific institutions in exchange for undisclosed financial benefits, a charge the former minister has consistently denied.

Documents, digital devices, and bank records have been seized from the sites as part of the evidence-gathering process. A senior law enforcement official stated that the operations are part of a broader inquiry into alleged land deals and fee-structure manipulations tied to unrecognised educational institutions operating in the state.

The former minister, who served in the previous state government, has been named in complaints filed by whistleblower educators and civil society groups who allege that thousands of students were affected when recognised schools were found to be operating on allotted lands without proper permission. These complaints had earlier triggered a review by the state's vigilance and anti-corruption branches before the Enforcement Directorate took up the financial-angle probe.

Legal representatives for the former minister have described the raids as politically motivated harassment, arguing that all relevant permissions and approvals for the schools in question were obtained through due process and verified by competent authorities at the time. They have reserved the right to approach the court against what they called a targeted investigation.

The case has reignited debate over regulatory oversight of private unaided schools in Tamil Nadu, a sector that enrolls lakhs of students and has long been a subject of public concern regarding transparency in admissions, fee fixation, and infrastructure standards.

The investigations are expected to continue over the coming days, with further searches anticipated at additional locations linked to the case.

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मुख्य बिंदु:

- Enforcement Directorate और आयकर विभाग की टीमें सुबह 7:30 बजे से तामिलनाडु के पूर्व मंत्री के कई ठिकानों पर छापेमारी कर रही हैं।

- छापेमारी चेन्नई और आसपास के जिलों में हुई, जहां निवास स्थान और कार्यालय समेत कई स्थानों पर तलाशी ली गई।

- जांच का केंद्र में निजी स्कूलों को जमीन और मान्यता देने में हुए financial irregularities हैं।

- पूर्व मंत्री के वकीलों ने इस कार्रवाई को राजनीतिक रूप से प्रेरित बताया है।

- राज्य में निजी अनाथ स्कूलों के प्रशासनिक पारदर्शिता को लेकर बढ़ती चिंता को फिर से जताया गया है।