As Veeramani sexual abuse probe widens, police look within, cops are summoned - The Indian Express

The investigation into the POCSO case against granite businessman R Veeramani has widened to examine the conduct of top police officers who handled the investigation earlier. Simultaneously, fresh searches, the arrest of a former employee, and a Look Out Circular against an alleged associate have opened new doors in a case Chennai police once sought to close.

The Central Crime Branch has issued summons to an Assistant Commissioner and two inspectors who had earlier investigated the case and were involved in the inquiry that ended with police seeking to drop further action. Investigators are examining whether there were lapses in handling the case and whether anyone attempted to influence or weaken the investigation. A senior officer probing the case confirmed that they are tracing the money transactions linked to senior police officers.

“In the wake of a Congress leader’s revelation that he alerted the Chennai city police about Veeramani’s crime in November 2024 and that the former Chennai Police Commissioner was also aware of the case, we are conducting an internal inquiry and assessing if there were attempts within the force to save Veeramani from investigations much before the case had come to light,” said a top officer probing the case.

Meanwhile, a Look Out Circular has been issued against Prakash, son of Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) general secretary N Kannaiah, after his name emerged while investigators were examining financial transactions linked to Veeramani.

A police team went to Prakash’s residence to serve him a summons for questioning but was informed that he had travelled abroad. Police subsequently issued the LOC to airports across the country. His precise role and the nature of the transactions are under investigation.

On Wednesday, Central Crime Branch teams also searched five premises linked to Veeramani, including his office on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai and a guest house in Teynampet. About 30 police personnel were involved in the searches. The raids represent the latest expansion of an investigation that began with a single video, nearly ended with a police closure report and has since produced multiple complainants, four arrests and an inquiry into whether people outside the original group of accused possessed or circulated recordings of the alleged abuse.

The fourth arrest came this week. Ganesan, a former employee who had worked at Veeramani’s Gem Granites for 23 years, was arrested after investigators allegedly found video footage involving Veeramani and a minor girl on his mobile phone. He was produced before a court, remanded in judicial custody and lodged in Puzhal Central Prison.

Investigators are now trying to determine how he obtained the recording, who sent it to him and why he retained it without approaching the police. His mobile phone is also being examined to determine whether any data was deleted.

Special teams are also examining material seized in the case and trying to determine who possessed recordings allegedly involving Veeramani, how the recordings circulated and whether they were used to threaten or extract money from anyone.

Senior investigation officers said they are also obtaining documents relating to the sale of properties belonging to Veeramani, especially around February, when the Chennai police chose to close the case.

A case against Veeramani was first registered on October 7, 2025, after police received a pen drive containing footage purportedly showing a minor girl being sexually assaulted. The recording was said to date to 2019. Police initially could not identify the girl. Investigators subsequently sought to close the case, citing the inability to trace the survivor and insufficient evidence to proceed. But a Special POCSO Court refused to accept the closure report and ordered further investigation.

Veeramani, 84, was arrested on August 29 along with Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan. All three were remanded in judicial custody.

Police have alleged that Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan facilitated Veeramani’s offences. The allegations against the accused have not been adjudicated. Statements from at least seven survivors have been recorded before the court, and investigators are examining whether still more girls may have been subjected to sexual abuse.

Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked after police established that one of the survivors belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.

Ministers in the present TVK government have accused the previous DMK administration of failing to pursue the case adequately and have questioned why police sought to close it despite possessing video evidence.

The DMK has rejected those allegations. Senior DMK lawyer N R Elango has said police registered the case in October 2025, conducted searches and investigated the available evidence but could not at that stage obtain sufficient material to proceed. He said the police report did not amount to permanently abandoning the investigation and maintained that further investigation remained possible if additional evidence emerged.

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam has also called for an investigation into officials and others who may have attempted to suppress allegations involving Veeramani.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has discussed the case with senior police officers and directed that action be taken against anyone found responsible.

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More