CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police on Monday registered a fresh case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act against GEM Granites chairman R Veeramani (84), based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a minor girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by him. The police have also launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline, 9345319676, for the public to share information with the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took suo motu cognisance of the case based on media reports and said in a statement that a fact-finding team will visit Chennai soon to conduct an inquiry.
On Monday, the mother of the minor submitted the complaint to the SIT following which the team took up the case and launched a probe. A senior police officer told TNIE that the complaint is different from the one lodged on Friday by another woman, pertaining to her daughter’s death by suicide in 2003 after alleged sexual assault by Veeramani. She had earlier lodged a complaint after her daughter’s death but had approached the police again on Friday with a fresh complaint.
All info will be verified, acted upon, say cops
The woman said that the police had failed to take action on her first complaint. She alleged that she was informed by the police that the case records were destroyed in a fire that broke out at the Ice House police station in 2017.
The police, however, told TNIE that an FIR was registered soon after they had received the complaint in 2003. However, it was not clear what sections were invoked then and whether Veeramani’s name was part of the FIR. Police have appealed to anyone wishing to lodge a complaint, or holding facts, documents or other material relevant to the cases, to come forward to share the information on the WhatsApp helpline number.
The identity of those providing information will be kept confidential, the police said, adding that all information received would be verified and acted upon. Meanwhile, on Saturday, DMK treasurer and Lok Sabha floor leader TR Baalu urged the SIT to summon Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and ministers Aadhav Arjuna and CTR Nirmal Kumar for questioning and to collect the evidence behind their allegations over DMK protecting Veeramani.
In his complaint to the SIT, Baalu said Vijay had alleged on September 25 that the DMK protected Veeramani. Aadhav Arjuna made a similar claim the same day. On September 26, Nirmal Kumar accused the DMK of receiving `500 crore from Veeramani in return for protecting him, Baalu pointed out.