CHENNAI: Allaying apprehensions over the fairness in the investigations being carried out by the special investigation team (SIT), the Madras High Court on Friday assured that it would ensure a proper probe in the child sexual assault case against businessman ‘Gem’ R Veeramani.
“We will ensure the case is properly investigated and everything is done in order,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvindh Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan said when a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a CBI probe into the child sexual assault came up for hearing.
Refusing to transfer the probe to the CBI, the bench dismissed the PIL filed by G Devarajan, a social activist, as withdrawn, saying a similar petition had already been withdrawn. It noted that a single judge had seized of the matter and issued a series of directions to the SIT; hence, the PIL was not maintainable.
The bench further said it did not want to delve into the investigations in view of the gravity of the offence and the nascent stage of the probe. When the petitioner’s counsel continued to insist on a short pass over or adjournment, the bench remarked that the petition was filed with an intention to stall the ongoing investigations.
The counsel informed the court that the petitioner had obtained certain vital information regarding the sexual assault and so wanted to argue the case. However, the bench said there is no scope for hearing the petition since no valid ground could be found.
State public prosecutor R John Sathyan submitted that the PIL is a “shadow litigation” filed with a mala fide intention of delaying the probe and protecting certain persons.
He informed the court that as many as seven FIRs have been registered against Veeramani so far; of them, six are related to sexual assault of children and one is related to a sexual assault and death by suicide.