The arrested persons, A Arockiaraj (39) of Madurai and C Suresh (49) of Tiruchy, are relatives of Arasakumar, police said. Despite having no connection with the education department, the two of them had allegedly collected money from managements of schools on Arasakumar's behalf, police said. Arasakumar has been detained under the Goondas Act. The police also said that since Arasakumar's arrest, they have identified over 61 bank accounts used for these transactions and have frozen them. They have taken statements from administrators of over 120 private schools and 190 witnesses so far.

Arasakumar, a resident of Saligramam, had scammed the schools for the past two years using an unregistered outfit named  "Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association". He promised several private schools that he would secure permanent recognition, school upgradation, DTCP/CMDA approvals, and other statutory clearances by using his political and bureaucratic connections, according to the complaint filed by the secretary of the Federation of Association of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. However, he failed to deliver the promised approvals or refund the amount and allegedly swindled over Rs 100 crore.

A Pudukkottai native, Arasakumar was a DMK member between 1990 and 2000, and served as the District linguistic wing president of the party between 1995 and 2000. He later shifted allegiance to the BJP and, in 2019, he returned to the DMK.