The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) on Sunday, October 18, arrested Sakthivel, the manager of Gem Granites, for allegedly facilitating financial transactions to help the company’s chairman, R Veeramani, evade legal action in cases involving the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls.
The arrest comes amid an ongoing investigation into multiple cases registered against Veeramani under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The police have so far received complaints involving 11 minors and registered seven POCSO cases against him.
The latest case was registered on Sunday, based on the statement of another survivor who alleged that she was sexually abused at the residence of Veeramani’s associate Shanthi.
According to the police, investigators are examining financial transactions to determine how Veeramani allegedly attempted to evade legal action.
As part of the investigation, the police conducted searches at Veeramani’s residence on Lloyds Road in Chennai, his farmhouse in Kanathur, and the office of Chamundeshwari Natural Stone.
The investigation began after the Greater Chennai Police’s anti-vice squad received a pen drive containing video evidence allegedly showing sexual offences involving minor girls.
Based on the material, Veeramani and his associates Shanti and Mahendra Simhan were arrested on August 29, 2026.
Ganesan, another accused, was arrested on September 22 for allegedly possessing another video related to the offences and failing to inform the police about it.
Further investigation led to the arrest of three drivers — Lasar, Parthiban and Babu — on October 5, who were allegedly involved in bringing minor girls to locations where Veeramani sexually abused them.
All have been arrested and lodged in Puzhal Central Prison and investigators are also searching for N Prakash, a former adviser to the Gem Group of Companies, who is currently absconding.
Besides the seven POCSO cases, Veeramani has also been booked in a case relating to the abetment of a minor’s suicide in 2004.
With the latest arrest of Sakthivel on Sunday, the total number of arrested persons in the case rises to eight.
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