In August 2025, granite baron R Veeramani and his associates Shanti and Mahendra Simhan were taken into custody over allegations of sexual abuse of minor girls. The victim, a 12‑year‑old from a nearby village, later recounted the assault to a magistrate, underscoring the human cost of the scandal.
The case was first flagged by a child‑rights activist in October 2025 when a video was handed to the Anti‑Vice Squad, prompting an FIR. Police, however, failed to arrest Veeramani citing insufficient evidence, a move critics say was political interference. TVK spokesperson M Sathya Kumar countered that delays were due to practical difficulties, not electoral timing.
Stalin dismissed claims that the DMK protected Veeramani, calling the allegations “disgusting” and accusing the ruling TVK of weaponising the case ahead of the Madurantakam bye‑elections on September 28. He insisted that the court must punish all involved, irrespective of position, and called the case a test of justice for victims. A local resident, who watched the proceedings from a rented room, said the case had become a “public trial of the state’s integrity.”
TVK maintained that the chief minister sought justice, not a campaign tool, and that the Special POCSO Court’s refusal to accept the closure report and order a fresh probe was a sign of the government’s commitment to law and order. The court is set to convene on September 28, with the case expected to be heard before the bye‑elections, while the government has placed two senior IPS officers under compulsory wait to ensure impartiality.