Full Breakdown
Veeramani POCSO Case: Legal Battles, Political Fallout and Media Restrictions
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The Madras High Court has taken multiple steps in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against R. Veeramani, the 84-year-old founder of Gem Granites. After a Special POCSO Court rejected a police closure report on August 19 2026, Veeramani, his associate Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan were arrested on August 28 2026 and placed in judicial custody, later extended to October 9 2026. The court also barred all media, digital platforms and social-media outlets from publishing any video or audio material that touches on the factual matrix of the case.
Background & Context
The investigation began when a child-rights activist handed a pen-drive containing a video allegedly showing Veeramani assaulting a minor to the Anti-Vice Squad on October 6 2025; the FIR was filed the next day. A “Further Action Dropped” report filed on February 18 2026 was rejected by a Special POCSO Court on August 19 2026, prompting a fresh probe that identified the survivor, recorded her statement and led to arrests in August 2026.
Data & Statistics
- Arrests: Veeramani, Shanthi, Mahendra Simhan and former employee Ganesan (four) on September 22 2026.
- Victims: Police have confirmed at least four minor survivors; one belongs to a Scheduled Caste, invoking the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
- Property sales linked to the case: two parcels on February 3 2026 sold for INR36.52 crore and INR43.72 crore.
- Defamation suit: The DMK seeks INR1.01 crore in damages from TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar and the TVK IT wing.
Official Statements & Responses
- Court – Justice V. ordered the all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) to issue weekly press releases on investigative progress.
- Police – State Public Prosecutor R. John Sathyan confirmed a separate FIR to trace the video leak and said the leak did not originate from police. DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal directed the SIT, headed by Additional Commissioner P. C. Thenmozhi, to investigate “effectively.”
- TVK – Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay accused the previous DMK government of “burying” the case and demanded answers from DMK president M. K. Stalin.
Criticism & Opposition
- The DMK called the TVK ministers’ statements “baseless charges” and sought legal redress for alleged defamation.
- CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam argued that neither the DMK nor the TVK government has a genuine interest in the investigation, accusing senior IPS officers of possible collusion and calling for their suspension.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Complaint timing – TVK officials cite the October 6 2025 hand-over of the pen-drive, while Congress leader R. Janjan Kumar claims to have submitted the same video in November 2024.
- Number of victims – Police have publicly identified four survivors, but later statements mention “several other women” and “additional minor victims,” leaving the total count unclear.
- Closure rationale – The police’s February 2026 closure report said the girl could not be identified, yet the Special POCSO Court later found the survivor and ordered further investigation, indicating a gap in evidentiary assessment.
What’s Next
- The High Court has scheduled further hearing on September 30 2026 to consider counter-affidavits from the TVK ministers and the X, Meta and YouTube platforms.
- The SIT is mandated to release weekly updates, the first expected by the end of September 2026.
- A petition for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe remains pending; the bench will decide whether to refer the matter for a central investigation in a later hearing.