The Madras High Court on Tuesday declined to entertain pleas seeking transfer of the sexual assault case against granite company owner Veeramani to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Veeramani has been arrested in connection with allegations of sexual violence against minors and is currently lodged in Puzhal prison in Chennai. Public interest petitions were filed seeking that the probe be moved to the CBI or a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The petitioners, advocates Rajasekaran and Varagi, contended that photos and videos showing Veeramani in the company of leaders from various political parties were being circulated, and argued that the matter was getting politicised, warranting an independent agency to investigate.
Hearing the matter, Justice Lakshmi Narayanan questioned the need to shift the probe to the CBI when an SIT had been formed only recently, and directed the petitioners to submit any material they had to the SIT officers by 3 pm the next day.
The court also instructed the SIT to file a status report in the case on October 7.
