On Oct. 7, 2025, Chennai Police filed four Goondas Act cases against granite baron R Veeramani, M Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan over allegations of sexual abuse of minors. The filing followed a video on a pen drive presented by a victim, prompting a closure report that the Special POCSO Court rejected.
The Central Crime Branch hauled the trio in August, citing their role in arranging abuse at a rented house and facilitating the crimes. A former GEM Group employee, Ganesan, was also seized.
Police have sifted through a WhatsApp helpline that yielded five actionable leads, while scrutinizing suspicious financial flows linked to the suspects. The probe now involves a Special Investigation Team set up by the DGP.
The case has ignited a political firestorm. Chief Minister Vijay Kumar accused the previous DMK government of shielding Veeramani, a claim MK Stalin rebuffed, insisting that no one received protection while demanding harsh punishment.
The Madras High Court declined to hand the investigation over to the CBI, keeping it under the SIT. The next step: the SIT will compile a report and forward it to the appropriate court before trial.