Published Oct 06, 2026 | 10:52 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2026 | 11:00 AM
The police said the SIT was constituted to conduct further investigation into the case against Gem Veeramani and other accused.
Synopsis: The three drivers, Lazar, Parthiban and Babu, allegedly took minor girls to Veeramani, who abused them. Police have now apprehended seven people in five POCSO cases involving the granite baron. Police arrested Veeramani, his aides Ganesan and Shanti, and her husband Mahendra Simhan earlier, and they are in judicial custody.
The Tamil Nadu police Anti-Vice Squad (AVS) on Monday, 5 October, arrested three longtime drivers of Gem Granite owner R Veeramani as part of the ongoing investigation in five POCSO cases registered against the industrialist and his aides.
With the arrests of drivers Lazar, Parthiban and Babu, police have now picked up seven people, including Veeramani, in the sensational case that even triggered a political blame game in Tamil Nadu. His aide, Mahendra Simhan, and his wife, Shanti, were also arrested earlier.
Granite baron Veeramani was arrested on 29 August for allegedly sexually abusing minor girls.
Police said a pen drive the AVS received contained a video, purportedly of Veeramani sexually abusing a minor girl at the residence of Simhan and Shanti. Another aide, Ganesan, was arrested for possessing a video, allegedly of Veeramani engaged in the criminal act, and failing to alert the police. All four have been remanded in judicial custody.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted following the Tamil Nadu DGP’s directive, is now investigating the case.
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Police had earlier registered four cases and filed another on 2 October, bringing the total to five.
The investigation led the SIT to the drivers, Lazar, Parthiban and Babu. They allegedly took minor girls to Veeramani. Police seized eight mobile phones and 55 documents from the drivers’ residences.
Police registered the first case against Veeramani, now aged 84, in October 2025 after a child welfare volunteer approached an AVS inspector and handed over a pen drive. The volunteer said an unidentified person had delivered the storage device to his office.
The unidentified person reportedly stated that the pen drive contained a video showing Veeramani allegedly committing a sexual offence against a minor girl in the bedroom of the house of his associate, Shanthi. On examining the video, the police found footage of an adult man allegedly committing a sexual offence against a minor girl.
The AVS of the Central Crime Branch, Greater Chennai Police, subsequently registered a case on 7 October 2025.
The initial investigation did not lead to Veeramani’s arrest. In February 2026, police submitted a report seeking to drop further action, citing “lack of evidence” and difficulties in establishing the identity and whereabouts of the minor girl involved.
The special POCSO court rejected the closure report in August and ordered a fresh investigation. Following this, the CCB arrested Veeramani, Shanthi, and her husband, Simhan.
The renewed investigation reportedly uncovered additional digital evidence and statements from other alleged survivors.
The CCB has also summoned Assistant Commissioner Yasmin and Inspectors Mahesh Kumar and Rajalakshmi, who handled the original investigation, to question them about how the complaint was handled and the recommendation to close the case.
Yasmin was subsequently transferred to the Chief Office Vacancy Reserve on “administrative grounds”.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
