COIMBATTORE: Minister for Electricity and Law R Nirmalkumar on Tuesday said the arrest of former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi over collection of more than Rs 400 crore through party funds from schools showed what could emerge from opening just one file.

Accusing the previous DMK regime of widespread corruption, NirmalKumar, while addressing reporters in Coimbatore, said several other files involving irregularities were under investigation.

“The DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin was asking to open the files. The Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has opened only one file and a former minister has got arrested. Schools run by non-governmental organisations and Christian missionaries had been threatened into paying money to obtain a certificate issued by the School Education Department for the safety and security of school children,” he said.

Taking a dig at DMK leader M.K. Stalin for terming the arrest ‘shamelessly’ as an act of political vendetta, the Minister said the DMK should be ashamed for collecting money from educational institutions.

Referring to videos purportedly showing supporters of Anbil Mahesh and former minister V. Senthil Balaji raising slogans that they should have finished him off that day in Karur, Nirmal Kumar said the DMK’s drama in the Karur stampede issue has been exposed.

Claiming that documentary and video evidence was available against Anbil Mahesh in the corruption issue, NirmalKumar urged schools who had been forced to pay money to come forward and lodge complaints. He said all irregularities would be investigated and none would be spared. The minister also said efforts are on to nab 13 of the prisoners who escaped from jail break in Theni district.