More victims give statements against granite baron Veeramani

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More survivors of sexual abuse involving granite baron R. Veeramani have given statement to the police that they were “exploited” by him.

According to police sources, investigators found evidence that at least 9 minor girls had been sexually abused by the businessman. Relying on the credible information, they identified some women who gave statements that they had also been abused over the years. They were then minors. The allegations made by the women would be thoroughly inquired into before taking further action, the sources said.

A special team probing the case booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act came across a message sent to Veeramani, who is the chairman, Gem group of companies, and Chairman and Managing Director of city-based Gem Granites, which pointed to the exploitation of girls belonging to families living below the poverty line, the sources said.

Veeramani and his associates Shanti and her husband Mahendra Simhan were arrested after investigation in the case registered in October 2025 revealed their involvement.

“Veeramani is clearly seen in the video abusing the minor girl. The statement of a co-accused and victims revealed his pedophile nature,” a police officer told ‘The Hindu’ on Thursday.

Parrying questions on how the police managed to identify the victim seen in the 2019 video and others, the officer said the police would not reveal any information that could lead to their location or identity.

“We have assured them (the survivors) of complete secrecy. The child seen in the video belongs to a Scheduled Caste community and steps have been taken to provide financial assistance to her under an existing welfare scheme,” the officer who did not want to be quoted said.

Investigation was on to gather more information on the message sent by Shanti, one of the accused, to Veeramani whether he remembered the death of a girl in 2003, the sources said.

On Wednesday, the police informed the designated court for POCSO Act cases about the identity of the victim seen in the video and recorded her statement.

Commissioner of Police A. Amalraj reviewed the progress in the case with senior officers at the Commissionerate and instructed the team to expedite the process of filing chargesheet at the earliest, police sources said.

A Chennai court on Thursday granted the three-day police custody of Veeramani. Considering the age of the accused, the police would question him at the Puzhal Central Prison complex.

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