Chennai: Ranjan Kumar, head of the Adi Dravidar Welfare wing of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, has said he alerted Chennai Police about the sexual abuse allegations against Gem Granites owner Veeramani nearly two years ago.
According to his account, Veeramani (85) has now been arrested under the POCSO Act and remanded to Puzhal prison. Police have also remanded Veeramani’s close associate Shanti (61), her husband Mahendra Simhan (63) and an assistant, Ganesan (55). Investigators have reportedly recovered a secret diary and videos that are being treated as key evidence, and the probe is continuing with searches at related locations.
In an interview to an English daily, Ranjan Kumar said that after learning details of the alleged abuse, he met the then Chennai South Additional Commissioner of Police, Kannan, on November 22, 2024, and submitted a written complaint. He said he also provided screenshots and later the video clip as supporting material for investigation.
He alleged that despite the complaint and evidence, no action was taken at the time against Veeramani and Shanti, and that police repeatedly asked whether he knew the victims seen in the video. He said he did not know them, but urged police to summon the accused for questioning or conduct searches to secure more evidence, adding that police later stopped contacting him.
Ranjan Kumar further claimed that Veeramani frequently visited Shanti’s house and that girls aged 14 to 16, including from minority communities, were targeted. He said he is ready to fully cooperate with police to ensure justice for the victims.
