CHENNAI: An all-woman special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to “investigate effectively” the sensational POCSO case against Tamil Nadu granite baron R Veeramani, as the probe into alleged sexual abuse of minor girls widens.As per a PTI report, the SIT comprises P C Thenmozhi, additional commissioner of police, CCB Chennai; Disha Mittal, joint commissioner of police, Law and Order, West; J Mutharasi, superintendent of police; and V V Geethanjali, deputy commissioner of police, Crime Against Women and Children.The team will function under Chennai police commissioner A Amalraj, according to an order issued by DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal on September 24.
From closure report to fresh arrests: How the case unfolded
The case came to light after an anonymous person handed over a pen drive to the Anti-Vice Squad of the Central Crime Branch in October 2025 containing a video purportedly showing an elderly man sexually assaulting a minor girl at a house linked to Veeramani’s associate Shanthi.Police subsequently identified the man as Veeramani.But the handling of the case has since become a major controversy. As per a PTI report, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee SC Department president M P Ranjan Kumar has claimed that he approached then additional commissioner N Kannan on November 22, 2024, with a complaint against Veeramani and Shanthi and submitted video evidence in December that year. He alleged that no subsequent action followed.
Two decades of alleged abuse under police scanner
Police initially filed a closure report in February 2026, citing difficulties in identifying the minor. The Special POCSO Court rejected the report and ordered a wider investigation. Police subsequently identified multiple survivors and recorded their statements before a judicial magistrate.Investigators have since said the alleged abuse may have continued for more than two decades.A senior police official told PTI that a recovered message allegedly referring to a 2003 incident involving the alleged suicide of a minor girl suspected to have been sexually assaulted by Veeramani had widened the scope of the probe.The Child Welfare Committee is monitoring the case but is awaiting a detailed police report.Veeramani, 84, and associates Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan were arrested on August 29 and remanded in judicial custody. On September 22, former Gem Granites employee Ganesan was arrested after police allegedly recovered the video from his mobile phone.Police said Ganesan was booked for possessing the incriminating material and failing to report it.Based on his interrogation, CCB teams searched five locations linked to Veeramani and his associates on September 23, including his offices in Gopalapuram and residence in T Nagar. Mobile phones, documents and electronic evidence were seized. Police are also examining alleged multi-crore financial transactions and possible attempts to suppress evidence or influence the investigation.
Raids, financial trail and political blame game intensify
The case has triggered a political slugfest. Following allegations of police inaction, the government placed former chennai police commissioner A Arun and additional commissioner N Kannan on “compulsory wait”. Ranjan Kumar has alleged that the previous DMK government failed to act on his 2024 complaint.DMK president M K Stalin rejected allegations of protection, saying no orders were issued during the DMK regime to shield anyone. Former minister S Regupathy defended the previous government’s handling, while Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar criticised his comments on the video evidence.With the all-woman SIT now taking charge, the investigation will examine the alleged abuse, the role of the accused and associates, the handling of earlier complaints and allegations surrounding efforts to delay or derail the probe.
Who is R Veeramani?
R Veeramani, 84, is the founder of Gem Granites and chairperson of the Gem Group, a prominent granite business conglomerate. A native of Namakkal, Veeramani is also a lawyer. He is currently in judicial custody in connection with a POCSO case involving allegations of sexual abuse of minor girls over several years. Police arrested him on August 29 along with his associates Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan after a Special POCSO Court rejected a closure report and ordered further investigation. Investigators have since identified multiple alleged survivors and are probing whether the abuse extended over more than two decades.(With agency inputs)
