New complaint filed against granite baron Veeramani in minor sexual abuse probe

Another minor girl has come forward with a new sexual harassment complaint against granite baron R Veeramani in Chennai. Police state that action began after this minor, who was previously a witness in an existing case, gave a statement.

Background

The case started in October 2025 when a child rights activist gave a pen drive to the Anti-Vice Squad. The drive had a video of a minor being sexually assaulted, and a note claimed the man in the video was Veeramani. The note stated the incident happened at the home of Mahendra Simhan and Shanthi. Police first tried to close the case because they could not identify the victim. However, a Special POCSO court judge rejected that closure report in February 2026 and ordered a fresh probe. Police then found the original video during searches and arrested Veeramani, Shanthi, and Mahendra Simhan in August 2026. A Special Investigation Team was later formed to look into the claims.

Current Status

Police have now registered a total of eight cases for the sexual harassment of minors. Veeramani has been arrested in all eight cases. Other arrested people include Shanthi in three cases, Lazar in five cases, Mahendrasimhan in two cases, and Ganesan in two cases. Srinivasan, Sakthivel, Babu, and Parthiban have each been arrested in one case. All accused are currently held at the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. During the probe, police took driver Lazar into one-day custody for questioning. This inquiry helped authorities find a white car used in the crime. Meanwhile, a POCSO court judge told the Tamil Nadu government to give a relief fund of two lakh rupees to one of the victims. Police will file the final reports for two of the eight cases in the coming week.

Context

This case highlights how child abuse investigations can progress when courts intervene to order deeper probes after initial police closure reports. The involvement of a Special Investigation Team and multiple arrests show the expanding scale of the legal proceedings against the accused individuals.