Chennai police sources said Additional DGP Arun, who earlier served as the city’s Police Commissioner during the DMK regime, has been questioned in connection with the ‘Granite’ Veeramani case. His statement was recorded as part of a probe into how the POCSO case was handled.
The case relates to a complaint alleging sexual assault on minors by ‘Granite’ Veeramani (85). At the time, the investigation was handled by Yasmin, then Assistant Commissioner in the Chennai Police’s Anti-Vice unit.
According to the report, the earlier probe was closed citing reasons including that no evidence was found at the house where the offence was said to have occurred on February 19, and that the person seen in a video could not be confirmed as Veeramani.
After a change in government, the allegations are being investigated more intensively by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT has arrested Veeramani and six others and remanded them to prison.
Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that large sums of money were exchanged to suppress the case. SIT officials had informed the POCSO court that they were looking into this aspect, while another police team is also probing alleged illegal money transfers linked to the matter. In this backdrop, Arun was summoned and questioned; sources said he was asked around 80 questions. He is currently on the waiting list without a posting.
