Gem Granites Founder Faces 5th POCSO Case; Political Cover-Up Allegations Emerge
Gem Granites Founder Faces 5th POCSO Case; Political Cover-Up Allegations Emerge
R. Veeramani, 84, faces a fifth POCSO case as a political party demands a probe into alleged cover-ups by former CM and ministers. Shocking developments in a high-profile investigation gripping Chennai!
Chennai is witnessing escalating developments in the ongoing sexual assault cases against R. Veeramani, the 84-year-old founder of Gem Granites. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police has registered a fifth case against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, based on a complaint from a woman in the city.
This comes amidst his recent detention under the stringent Goondas Act, alongside his two alleged accomplices. The investigation, spearheaded by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional Commissioner P.C. Thenmozhi, has intensified.
Veeramani was initially arrested on August 29 on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl.
His associates, Shanthi (60) and Mahendra Simhan (63), were also apprehended for allegedly abetting him in these offenses.
A fourth accused, Ganesan, who worked for Gem Granites for 23 years, was arrested on September 22 for possessing an obscene video of Veeramani with a minor girl and failing to report it to the police.
The series of cases began to unfold after a pen drive containing a video of Veeramani allegedly assaulting a minor girl was received. The investigation significantly picked up pace from last August. The official registration for the first case, related to an alleged sexual assault in 2019, is dated October 2025.
This was followed by another POCSO case concerning an alleged sexual assault in 2024, and a third relating to the alleged sexual abuse of a Class 11 student before her suicide in 2004. A fourth case involving a minor girl was registered on September 30. Police confirm that “more complaints are coming in, and they are being duly received” for further action.
Adding a new dimension to the scandal, the legal wing of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has formally petitioned the Greater Chennai Police and the SIT. The petition demands an expanded probe into alleged suppression and cover-up of sexual assault complaints involving minor girls. Specifically, it questions the roles of former Chief Minister M.K.
Stalin, former Law Minister S. Regupathy, and senior police officers. The TVK seeks to ascertain whether complaints reached Mr.
Stalin, who held the Home portfolio at the time, and if any directives were issued.
They also question Mr. Regupathy's public comments on the quality of video evidence related to the case.
The gravity of the charges, which include aggravated penetrative sexual assault and abetting a minor girl to commit suicide, highlights a deeply disturbing pattern. The ongoing investigation promises further developments as authorities continue to process new complaints and probe the potential involvement of high-profile individuals in any alleged cover-up. The public awaits justice for the victims in these harrowing cases.
