First Charge Sheet Filed Against Gem Granites Founder R. Veeramani in POCSO Case

A special investigation team probing serial child sexual abuse cases against Gem Granites founder R. Veeramani has filed its first charge sheet under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. State Public Prosecutor R. John Sathyan informed the Madras High Court on Thursday that the charge sheet was filed before a special court for POCSO cases in Chennai on November 11, 2026.

Investigation Updates

The prosecution stated that the investigation team intends to file multiple charge sheets in the remaining cases one after another over the next 10 to 15 days. Justice V. Lakshminarayanan perused a status report detailing the probe's progress and expressed satisfaction with the work done in the sensitive case. The judge adjourned connected writ petitions to November 30, 2026, and directed the High Court Registry to keep the status report in safe custody.

Legal Proceedings

The inquiry stems from petitions filed by R. Varaaki and advocate M.L. Ravi seeking to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The court declined to order a transfer for now, stating the team must be allowed to work in peace while continuing to submit periodical status reports. The judge also recorded that the team is probing whether any police officials or others tried to protect the prime accused, and advised petitioners to submit any evidence directly to the investigators rather than holding it for court.

Context

Child sexual abuse cases registered under special laws like the POCSO Act are handled through designated fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials. Special investigation teams are frequently constituted by courts or governments to manage high-profile or sensitive multi-case probes independently.