After an intensive manhunt spanning nearly six months, film producer Madhan, allegedly involved in a multi-crore medical admission scam in which 123 persons were cheated, was arrested today, police said.
He was arrested in the textile city of Tirupur where he had arrived last night to meet a woman associate after trying to escape from the law by hiding in several states, including Uttarkhand, Karnataka and Manipur, they said.
Managing partner of Vendar Movies, his arrest brings the curtains down on police's hot pursuit for him that criss- crossed several states and multiple cities.
Special police teams on the lookout for him in many cities found he had purchased properties at Roorkee in Uttarkhand and that some of his associates had helped him in his endeavour.
It was found a woman was in touch with Madhan and she was questioned, they said.
The probe also revealed that Madhan was remitting money to his associate in Imphal and that another man who had visited the Manipur man had returned to Tirupur, clearly establishing a link among them.
Subsequently, when Madhan came to Tirupur to visit the woman associate, he was arrested, police said.
The medical admission scandal's lid broke open in May last when Madhan disappeared mysteriously, dragging SRM University into the picture.
He went into hiding on May 28 after writing an emotional note allegedly claiming that he was going to end his life in Varanasi, "where if a person dies, will have no rebirth."
Madhan had also allegedly acknowledged having collected several crore of Rupees from parents for their wards aspiring for MBBS seats in SRM varsity.
On June 1 this year, soon after Madhan's disappearance, one Dr Jayachandran lodged a complaint with police that he had paid Rs 53 lakh to him for an MBBS seat for his son in SRM varsity.
The money was remitted to Madhan through his associate Babu of Indiya Jananayaka Katchi, he had said, adding he neither got the seat for his son nor the money back.
The police probe found that Madhan and his associates were allegedly involved in cheating 123 aspirants for under and post graduate courses in medicine in SRM group of institutions to the tune of Rs 84.27 crore.
Even as police began its search for Madan, six of his associates, including Dr Bargavan Pachaimuthu, medical wing secretary of IJK, were arrested in connection with the case.
Finally, days after Madras High Court questioned police as to why SRM group founder chairman Pachamuthu had not been interrogated in the case, he was arrested.
The SRM chief Pachamuthu-led Indiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) is an ally of NDA at the Centre.
He was booked under various IPC sections, including Section 420 (cheating).
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Meanwhile, Madhan has been brought to Chennai from
Tirupur, police said.
Following Madhan's disappearance, his mother and wife lodged a complaint with police. In June, the mother moved the Madras High Court, seeking a direction to police to trace and produce her son.
In August, the court directed the Investigating Officer to produce all documents relating to the probe on film producer Madhan.
"Why is the Crime Branch in Tamil Nadu unable to track down film producer Madhan, in spite of a lapse of 70 days since they were handed over the case?" a division bench, comprising Justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharathidasan had asked while hearing the Habeas Corpus petition of Thangam. The court had also asked why Pachamuthu was not interrogated.
Thangam had submitted that her son had gone missing since May 28 and there was foul play in his disappearance.
Advocate R C Paul Kanagaraj, appearing for 16 parents/ students, had told the court that they had paid several lakhs of Rupees each for a medical seat in SRM University.
They had submitted that they first met founder chairman of Pachamuthu, who "asked them" to pay the money to Madhan, said Kanagaraj, holding the university administration responsible for the money paid.
He had submitted that varsity had said admissions were closed now and even classes had started. He also pointed out that they got neither the money nor MBBS seat.
On July 28, the Crime Branch had informed the High Court that Madhan was very much alive.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police S Radhakrishnan had filed a status report in the court on two cases entrusted to him for investigation.
While one was the missing case pertaining to Madhan, the other was on cases filed against him and others for allegedly collecting money with false promise to get medical admissions in a leading private medical college.
