States » SouthPosted at: Oct 4 2026 3:52PM


Yet another POCSO case slapped on granite baron Veeramani

Chennai, Oct 4 (UNI) The Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) Police, which is probing the sexual assault cases involving tainted bizman R.Veeramani of Gem Granites, has booked yet another case against him under the POCSO Act.
This is the fifth case booked against the paedophile case accused, who was arrested, along with a couple who were his acquaintances, and remanded in judicial custody for sexually assaulting severe juvenile girls over the years. As more complaints started pouring against him, the trio were now detained under the Goondas Act. Later one more person--his former employee--was also arrested.
The fifth case was filed against him following a complaint from a Chennai-based woman, who alleged that her daughter was subjected to sexual abuse by him.
Meanwhile, the Legal wing of the ruling TVK petitioned the CCB and also the Special Investigation team (SIT) seeking an expanded probe into the alleged attempts made during the previous DMK regime to shield the industrialist and cover up the case. It said the probe should also include the the stand taken by former Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, former Law Minister S. Regupathy, and senior police officers and also wanted the CCB to ascertain whether the first complaint, lodged in October 2025, reached Stalin, who held the Home portfolio, and whether any directions were issued.
The petition also questioned how the former Law Minister made remarks in public on the quality of the video evidence submitted along with the complaint in the first case. The second case was filed following a complaint alleged sexual assault of a girl in 2024, which was followed by the third case of sexual assault and abettment of suicide after the victim's mother filed a complaint. The mother said her daughter studying in 11th standard had committed suicide in 2004 after she was sexually assaulted by him. The fourth case was registered on September 30 for sexual abse of another minor girl.
The case surfaced as early as in October last year during the previous DMK regime when a member of the Child Rights Activist Group handed over a video in which the octogenarian bizman was seen indulging in sexual misconduct with a minor girl. After registering a FIR, the probe did not proceed further as the police could not trace the identity of the victim and also filed a closure report before the POCSO court. However, the Judge rejected it and directed further investigation into the case.
Armed with the POCSO court order, the fresh probe by the new TVK government headed by Chief Minister Vijay, who had directed the police not to spare anyone, whomsoever it may be, found to the involved in the case, subsequently led to the identification of more alleged survivors and fresh evidences.
After recording the evidences of survivors in Court's presence, thee CCB police arrested Veeramani, his acquaintance Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan. The bizman's close associate and former employee of Gem Granites, Ganesan was the latest to land in the police net after the police found videos and other materials in his mobile phone pertaining to the obscene acts of Veeramani, which he
had failed to disclose to the investigators.
Investigators are examining whether other persons were involved and whether the alleged offences extended over a longer period by taking the arrested couple in their custody.
Apart from unravelling huge sums of money trail, running to more than Rs 50 crores allegedly to shield the industrialist, the investigation has also raised questions about the role of top police officers who handled the earlier complaint. A son of a prominent SRMU identified as Prakash, was said to have acted as the conduit in settling the financial deals. CCB police have issued summons against him, but he was said to be staying abroad.
Cracking the whip, the government has shunted out three key police officers. While former Chennai Police Commissioner A.Arun, now ADGP TN Police Academy Director and former Chennai City Joint Commissioner and present Coimbatore City Police Commissioner N.Kannan, who were at the helm of affairs when the first complaint was registered, were put on compulsory wait, Chennai City Assistant Commissioner Ms.M.A.Yasmin, who was the first IO, was kept under Vacancy Reserve.
Meanwhile, the State government constituted a four-member all women SIT to probe the case and the team was further expanded with the addition of seven more officers.
A petition was also filed in the Madras High Court seeking to order a CBI probe. However, the court refused the prayer and said the newly-formed SIT should be given some breathing time to investigate the case.
The SIT, comprising four women police officers was headed by Inspector General of Police P.C.Thenmozhi and included Additional Commissioner of the CCB, Joint Commissioner Disha Mittal and Superintendents of Police Mutharasi and Geethanjali. It was functioning under the direct supervision of the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A.Amalraj.
It was in this scenario and receipt of more complaints, the police verified each one of them and filed the fifth case against the bizman.
UNI GV 1550
Tags: #Yet another POCSO case slapped on granite baron Veeramani
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