CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to transfer the investigation into the child sexual assault case against businessman ‘Gem’ R Veeramani to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), observing that the special investigation team (SIT) had only recently begun its probe and needed more time.
The court also said the sensitive case should not used for extracting publicity since children, particularly from the SC community are also involved, and sought a report from the SIT on the progress of the investigations.
The SIT was formed just four days ago, and it cannot be expected to do a magic to collect all evidence within a short span of time, Justice V Lakshminarayanan said while hearing a petition filed by a YouTuber Varaaki seeking a CBI probe into the case.
“I am sure the Tamil Nadu Police do not have a crystal ball or magic wand in their hands to get all the evidence they require by the wave of their hands,” the judge said.
He remarked that the investigations take time especially like the child sexual assault case.
The judge said it might not be proper to transfer the probe to the CBI even without giving ‘breathing space’ to the SIT.
He directed the petitioner to share the evidence he claims to have on the involvement of five officials in the cover up of the crime, to appear before the SIT and share the materials.
Saying that the petitioner Varaaki may have ‘an axe to grind’ against the previous government, Justice Lakshminarayanan said the child sexual assault is not the one to do so.
He recorded the submission of the State Public Prosecutor, R John Sathyan that any person is at liberty to approach the SIT if any materials are in his/her possession relating to the crime.
The State PP also informed the court that Deputy Commissioner VV Geethanjali has been replaced with Deputy Commissioner V Geetha in the SIT as the former had opted out of the probe team.
The judge adjourned the hearing by a week.
The case dates back to October 7, 2025, when an NGO volunteer approached the Anti-Vice Squad (AVS) of the Greater Chennai Police with a pen drive containing a video purportedly showing businessman ‘Gem’ R Veeramani sexually assaulting a minor girl. The police initially sought to close the case in February, citing difficulties in identifying the girl, but a special Pocso court rejected the closure report and ordered further investigation.
On August 29, the AVS of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested Veeramani (84), along with his key associates M Shanthi (60) and her husband Mahendra Simhan (63), nearly 11 months after the case was registered. The trio was booked under Sections 7, 8, 15(1) and 21(1) of the Pocso Act and Section 67 of the IT Act.
The police also invoked provisions of the SC/ST Act after establishing that one of the survivors belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. Subsequently, Ganesan (45), a former employee of Veeramani, was arrested on September 22 for allegedly possessing the video and failing to inform the police about it. All four accused are currently in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, fresh complaints alleging sexual abuse of minors by Veeramani have reached the special investigation team (SIT) and are under investigation. A new Pocso case was registered on Monday based on a complaint by the mother of a minor girl, and police said a chargesheet in the case would be filed soon.
On September 24, DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal constituted an all-woman SIT to investigate the case and related matters.