‘Gem Granites’ Veeramani case: Police officer in SIT requests recusal; BJP seeks transfer of probe to CBI
Deputy Commissioner V.V. Geethanjali, one of the officers in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the POCSO Act case involving Veeramani, has requested to recuse herself from the team. She has cited her prior involvement in the initial investigation of this case.
Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A. Amalraj has ordered the detention of R. Veeramani, founder of Gem Granites, along with his two accomplices, Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan, under the Goondas Act. This comes amid allegations of repeated criminal activities and disturbing public order. Veeramani was arrested on August 29, 2026, by the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Unit (ITPU) on charges of sexually assaulting minor girls.
Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan were also arrested for aiding and abetting him. They have been remanded in judicial custody and lodged at Central Prison, Puzhal. The police have registered two additional cases against Veeramani, one for driving minor girls to take their own lives and another for suspected financial irregularities. Police investigations are ongoing into Veeramani's alleged involvement in various criminal activities, including sexual abuse.
The Commissioner has invoked provisions of the Goondas Act to detain 11 others, including Sathish Kumar, Manikandan, Hariharan, Paranitharan, and Rakesh, who were arrested in connection with the murder of Kannan in Vannanthurai. All 14 accused have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody. The police have introduced a WhatsApp number for sharing information about the affected minor girls and have received five useful pieces of information so far.
The Commissioner urged the public to seek help from health helpline 104 or Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-2464 0050 in case of suicidal thoughts.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
