Girl in ‘sexual abuse video’ linked to granite baron Veeramani finally traced - The Indian Express

The minor girl at the centre of the alleged sexual abuse case against granite businessman R Veeramani has finally been traced, and has identified herself and Veeramani in the video that first led to the case, senior police officers said.

Her statement has now been recorded before a Judicial Magistrate, marking the most significant breakthrough since Veeramani, founder of GEM Granites and chairman of the GEM Group of Companies, and two of his associates were arrested last month. Earlier this year, the Chennai police had cited their inability to identify the girl as grounds to close the investigation, only for a POCSO court to intervene.

The investigation has also widened beyond the girl seen in the original video. Police claim to have identified other women and minor girls who they suspect may have been sexually assaulted by Veeramani over a period of years.

The developments have also turned attention back to the trajectory of the case: Chennai police possessed the video and registered an FIR in October 2025, but subsequently said they could not identify the girl, sought to drop further action. They revived the investigation only after a Special POCSO Court refused to accept their closure report.

A Chennai police officer said the original police team had not done enough in pursuing the case. “They had the video and they had to register an FIR. But the matter was not escalated to higher-ups,” said the officer. “We have identified the girl who was a minor when she was allegedly sexually exploited in 2019. She claims she is the person in the video. Her statement has been recorded before the magistrate.”

Investigators have also invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused.

“We are in the process of recording the statements of some suspected victims. Almost all of them are from very poor families,” said the officer. Police are also probing is some of the suspected victims were supported by charitable activities associated with Veeramani.

Police sources said investigators are also looking into whether the alleged sexual abuse went beyond the Teynampet house linked to the original video, and are examining locations such as Veeramani’s residence, his office and a guesthouse on the outskirts of Chennai.

Veeramani, who is in his 80s, was arrested on August 29 along with his longtime associate Shanthi and her husband, Mahendra Simhan, managing director of Gem Software Solutions. Police have alleged that the couple facilitated offences and were involved in tampering with or destroying evidence. The allegations against the three have not been adjudicated.

Police are also probing whether Shanthi took some of the alleged victims for shopping or to luxury hotels, and looking into messages she exchanged with Veeramani.

The case had begun almost 11 months earlier, on October 6, 2025, when a child-rights activist approached the city police with a USB drive containing footage purportedly showing Veeramani sexually assaulting a minor girl. The footage carried a timestamp from 2019. Police registered an FIR the following day and questioned Veeramani and Shanthi. Both denied the allegations and said the man in the recording was not Veeramani.

The investigation then stalled. Police said they could not establish the identity or whereabouts of the girl. The earlier investigation also cited the absence of corroborating CCTV material and the inability of a cyber expert to retrieve the original recording from the DVR after the passage of several years.

In February, the Anti-Vice Squad filed a report seeking to drop further action. The Special POCSO Court refused to accept it and ordered further investigation. The court questioned, among other things, how investigators had failed to establish the scene of the alleged offence despite possessing the video.

After the investigation was revived, searches at the Teynampet property led police to electronic devices that were eventually sent for forensic examination. Police also claim to have found indications of evidence tampering.

Police have since been granted limited custody to question Veeramani. In view of his age and health, the court directed that the interrogation be conducted within the Puzhal Central Prison complex with access to legal counsel.

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