Chennai, Jan 6 (IANS): AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister for Milk and Dairy development Rajenthra Bhalaji, who was arrested in Karnataka, was remanded to judicial custody till January 20.

The former minister was arrested on Wednesday in cheating cases related to a job scam in the state-run Milk cooperative Aavin wherein the former minister has allegedly taken an amount of Rs 3 crore from several people promising them jobs in the cooperative. The Virudhunagar district crime branch had registered two cheating cases against the former minister related to the job scam.

Bhalaji was produced before the Judicial Magistrate court at Srivilluputur in the early hours of Thursday after five-hour-long questioning at Virudhunagar. The judicial officer, V. Paramveer ordered his remand till January 20.

The former minister had approached the Madras High Court for anticipatory bail after the Virudhunagar district crime branch registered the case on December 15, but the court rejected his appeal on December 17 and ever since the former minister was on the run. He was arrested from Karnataka after the Virudhunagar district superintendent of police, M. Manohar issued a lookout notice and constituted eight police teams in pursuit of the former minister.

Police said that he was brought to the Virudhunagar Crime branch office around 1.30 a.m. and was interrogated for five hours before producing him before the Judicial Magistrate court at Srivilluputur.

He will be lodged at the Madurai central prison.