Chennai Police investigating the POCSO case against granite businessman ‘Jem’ Veeramani, 85, say they have seized videos allegedly showing sexual assault of two minor girls aged seven and 13.
Veeramani has already been arrested under the POCSO Act and remanded to Puzhal prison. Police have also arrested Shanti, 60, and her husband Mahendra Simhan, 63, alleging that they housed the minors in a rented home in Teynampet, influenced them, and facilitated the offences.
Investigators are also looking into an earlier complaint said to have been filed during the previous DMK government at the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office, which was reportedly closed after an inquiry citing lack of evidence. The Central Crime Branch is examining the circumstances around that closure.
Police further claim that Veeramani attempted to evade the case through intermediaries, including by selling a property on Chennai’s ECR said to be worth Rs 100 crore and distributing Rs 70 crore to brokers who promised help from police officials and politicians. A complaint has also alleged a link to Prakash, son of a Southern Railway union functionary, and police have issued him a summons, though he is said to have gone abroad.
During the ongoing probe, police traced the controversial videos to Ganesan, who worked as Veeramani’s aide for 23 years and is now employed at Balaji Global Enterprises. After examining his mobile phone, police say they found the videos and arrested him for allegedly possessing them and failing to inform authorities, while continuing to investigate how he obtained them and who sent them.
