India

Charge Sheets for Two of Eight Child Abuse Cases Against Granite Baron Veeramani to Be Filed This Week

By S Vijay Karthik

The Special Investigation Team has scheduled the filing of charge sheets for two of the eight child sex‑abuse cases registered against granite baron R Veeramani, 84, this week, a Tamil Nadu police officer said. The alleged abuse surfaced in October 2025 when a pen drive containing a video that purportedly shows Veeramani sexually assaulting a girl was handed over to the Central Crime Branch in Chennai. Veeramani was arrested in August along with alleged accomplices Shanthi and Mahandra Simhan. Six additional people have since been arrested and are being held in the Central Prison near Chennai. The SIT has recorded 12 statements from girls who claim Veeramani sexually abused them. An investigating officer said a car used to transport the girls was identified and secured. Police have released the mobile number 9345319676 for information about the case. A test identification parade was held at the prison, where one of the victims identified Veeramani. Veeramani was arrested after a local court rejected a police closure report in February. The report was filed four months after the video was submitted. Police told the court that the case could be reopened if new evidence emerged, but the court instructed police to continue the probe. Attempts were allegedly made to hush up the case.