Chennai, Sep 23 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Minister A Rajmohan on Wednesday lashed out at former minister S Regupathy over his remarks on the ongoing POCSO case involving Gem Granites chairman R Veeramani, questioning whether an HD-quality video was required for police to conduct a proper investigation.
Sarcastically asking if the former DMK minister expected high-definition footage for the law enforcement to act, Rajmohan advised him to show conscientiousness rather than raise technical ambiguities regarding the footage involving the abuse of minors.
In an escalating political row over the handling of the POCSO case in which Veeramani, his two associates and former staff Ganesan were arrested and lodged in the Puzhal Central Prison here, School Education Minister Rajmohan condemned Regupathy’s recent comments on the evidence and accused the previous DMK regime of stalling the investigation.
Speaking to reporters here, Rajmohan said Raghupathy’s remarks demonstrated a lack of empathy toward victims of child sexual abuse and challenged the opposition to explain why the probe into the sensitive case had allegedly been stalled for over a year under their tenure, demanding full accountability for those who sought to dilute or divert the investigation.
Highlighting the stringent nature of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the minister emphasised that legal safeguards strictly mandate protecting the identities of victims. He urged survivors and witnesses to step forward without fear, reassuring them that their privacy would be fully safeguarded and that the current TVK government is committed to ensuring a safe environment for legal recourse.
Denying allegations of procedural delays, Rajmohan asserted that the probe is being conducted with total transparency and speed under the direct supervision of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and reiterated that no individual, regardless of their political clout or status, would be allowed to interfere with the delivery of justice.
“I have some questions for the DMK in the Gem Veeramani POCSO case. Who ordered to drop this case during the DMK rule? Who is the individual? Was it a minister, an official or the deputy chief minister or chief minister? Whom are the previous regime still trying to protect in this case?” Rajmohan asked.
Also, the minister sought to know why the investigation was slowed down.
The minister was interacting with the media after inaugurating a renovated pond at the Egmore Government Museum.
The pond was restored and upgraded under the CSR activity of the Ford Motor Company in coordination with Exnora International Foundation.
While refuting the allegations against the DMK, Regupathy on Tuesday asserted that his party had no links to GEM Granites or Veeramani, and he defended the previous government’s actions as fully compliant with legal procedure.
Regupathy told reporters here that police had promptly registered an FIR upon receiving a complaint in October 2025 and maintained that the investigation was held up only to secure robust legal evidence rather than rushing to drop the case.
In October 2025, an anonymous person handed a pen drive to the Anti-Vice Police squad of the Greater Chennai Police indicating an elderly man assaulting a minor girl. Police identified the man in the video as granite baron Veeramani and his two associates who allegedly facilitated the offences at a house in Teynampet.
Though the police filed a closure report in February 2026 citing difficulties in identifying the minor, the Special POCSO Court rejected the closure and ordered a wider investigation leading to the arrest of Veeramani and his two associates.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Tuesday arrested Ganesan, a former employee of Gem Granites for possessing video evidence in the POCSO case against industrialist Veeramani.
The prime accused, Veeramani – a native of Namakkal who is also a lawyer – along with his associates Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan, were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested on August 29.
Meanwhile, police initiated searches at more than seven locations associated with Veeramani, including his residences and offices in Chennai to gather evidence. The police are examining claims of financial transaction aimed at covering up or escaping the legal consequences of the case. PTI JSP JSP KH
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