Chennai, Sep 21 (PTI) A political row erupted in Tamil Nadu on Monday over a POCSO case against granite baron R Veeramani who allegedly sexually abused several minor girls, with ministers accusing the previous DMK government of a “cover-up” and interference in the functioning of the police department.
The main opposition DMK warned of legal action if the allegation was not substantiated by evidence and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna asserted that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had ordered tough action on crimes against women and children.
Launching a scathing attack on the previous DMK government, Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar demanded answers from the DMK for “not acting against Veeramani” during its regime, especially when a complaint had been lodged.
Addressing an event, Kumar questioned why the investigation was halted despite the existence of video evidence showing the sexual assault by Veeramani.
On October 6, 2025, a child rights activist submitted a pen drive to the Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch’s Anti-Vice Squad which contained footage of the alleged assault.
Noting that DMK chief MK Stalin held the Home portfolio at that time, the minister asked, “who ordered the probe to be dropped,” alleging that the DMK hushed up such a big crime and let the prominent industrialist go scot-free.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna, speaking to reporters, asserted that the chief minister had ordered swift action on crimes against women and children and said, “there will be no answers from the DMK to the questions raised by the law minister.” He accused the previous DMK government of operating a “compromised police force that applied different laws” to protect favoured industrialists, party members, and the then “ruling family.” “Generally, there was one law for the DMK district secretaries. There was one law for industrialists known to the DMK. There was one law for DMK party cadres. And there was one law for DMK family members. Because the Tamil Nadu police force was run by the DMK family, not the DGP. That is why they did not even appoint a regular DGP,” Arjuna alleged.
Minister for Information, Rajmohan, referring to the case against Veeramani, described the alleged abuse of minor girls as horrendous.
He further alleged that the abuse was “covered up” during the DMK regime and asked whether the Left parties, which criticise the TVK government over several issues, condemned the “cover-up” or not.
He, however, said that criticising the government was well within the rights of the Left parties, who support the government from outside.
CPI (M) State Secretary P Shanmugam, in his reaction, underlined that it was the Marxist party and its affiliates who had put up a tough fight all along to secure justice for women and children and demanded a detailed investigation into the case against the industrialist.
He said complaints against Veeramani had surfaced multiple times over the decades. Complaints had been made as far back as 2013 when AIADMK supremo, late J Jayalalithaa, was the chief minister.
A complaint was lodged during the DMK regime when M K Stalin was the chief minister, he said, adding such complaints had been repeatedly buried, allowing a “serial offender” to evade the law for years.
Speaking to reporters, DMK law wing secretary N R Elango firmly refuted the allegations of the ministers and said that under the DMK government, police had submitted to the court that the probe against Veeramani had been deferred till gathering sufficient evidence.
“Probe was not dropped during the DMK regime,” Elango, a senior advocate added.
If police officers had been bribed, and if the government had evidence against such officials, action may be taken against them, he said, adding that Minister Nirmal Kumar must substantiate his allegation of “cover-up” against the DMK with evidence.
“If he cannot substantiate it, he must tender a public apology, otherwise, we will initiate appropriate legal proceedings against him,” Elango added.
Veeramani, aged over 80, was arrested alongside two of his accomplices, Shanthi (60) and her husband Mahendra Simhan (63) last month.
The ongoing probe against the industrialist, who is the chairman of Gem group, led to the identification of multiple survivors who were allegedly sexually assaulted by him over the past several years. PTI JR VGN
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