Law & Justice
SIT Excavates Veeramani’s Garden, Finds No Human Remains
Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials, assisted by private contractors, excavated the garden at the bungalow of 84‑year‑old granite baron R Veeramani on Avvai Shanmugam Salai in upscale Royapettah. The search, conducted under tight police security, lasted more than seven hours and involved police personnel, forensic department officials and SIT members. The operation was prompted after a victim reported that a minor girl’s body had been buried in the garden. During the search, a driver who allegedly brought victims to the residence was questioned, and three drivers—Lazar, Parthiban and Babu—were arrested on October 5 for bringing victims to Veeramani’s home. It was not clear which of the three accompanied the police during the excavation.
Advocate T Vignesh, representing Veeramani’s family, said the police had not served any notices before the search and claimed officers had assaulted Veeramani’s wife, Raji Veeramani, during the investigation. He said police tried to twist her hand when she was about to take her mobile phone and said the matter would be taken legally.
On November 11, police filed a 720‑page charge sheet before the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases, naming Veeramani and two of his drivers in one of the seven cases registered by the SIT. The case was registered on September 27, 2026, after the mother of a 14‑year‑old girl belonging to a Scheduled Caste filed a complaint alleging that her daughter had been sexually abused by Veeramani. Police officials said Veeramani’s drivers Parthiban and Babu were aware of the alleged offence and had helped bring the girl to his residence in Chennai, where she was allegedly abused.
In addition to Veeramani, his alleged accomplices Shanthi and her husband, Mahendra Simhan, were arrested on August 29. Former employee Ganesan, who allegedly possessed videos related to the sexual offences but failed to inform the police, was arrested on September 22, 2026. Manager Shaktivel was also arrested, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to eight. The SIT has recorded statements from 12 affected minor girls so far.