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In the ongoing POCSO probe against mining baron Veeramani of Gem Granites, the Chennai Crime Branch police have arrested his key aide, identified as Ganesan. Ganesan worked at Gem Granites for nearly 23 years, police said.
According to the police press release, he had an explicit video on his mobile phone showing Veeramani with the minor girl and failed to inform the police about it. He was produced before the court and remanded to Puzhal Central Prison.
Further investigation is underway to determine who sent the video of the minor girl to Ganesan and to understand the background behind why he kept it without informing the police.
Meanwhile, the police have reportedly found financial transactions to several accounts of those who allegedly attempted to suppress the case.
According to police sources, investigators have traced bank transactions to multiple accounts, including that of Prakash, a railway union leader’s son who is suspected to have helped Veeramani escape police action.
On Tuesday morning, September 22, police issued summons to Prakash asking him to appear for questioning. However, officials said he was not available at his residence when the police arrived. Police sources said Prakash's family informed them that he is currently abroad.
Police are also probing a property transaction involving Veeramani. Investigators have found that a property valued at around Rs 130 crore was allegedly sold for a throwaway price. Police suspect that the transaction may have been carried out in haste and are investigating whether the money from the sale was used to make payments to people involved in attempts to suppress the case.
The police are now examining the recipients of the money and the nature of the transactions.
The probe follows the reopening of a POCSO case that Chennai police had initially sought to close. On October 6, 2025, a child rights activist approached the Anti-Vice Squad with a pen drive containing a video that purportedly showed a minor girl being sexually assaulted. According to the police, the person who had handed over the pen drive said the man in the video was Veeramani and that the alleged assault had taken place at a house associated with his long-time associates Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan.
An FIR was registered in October 2025, and Veeramani, Shanthi and Mahendra were questioned. However, investigators were unable to identify or locate the girl seen in the video. In February 2026, the Anti-Vice Squad filed a report seeking to close the case, citing the lack of sufficient evidence and the inability to establish the identity of the minor.
The Special POCSO Court rejected the closure report and ordered further investigation. The court's intervention led to searches at Mahendra Simhan's residence in Teynampet, where police recovered what they described as the original visuals of the alleged assault from a device. Investigators also found indications of an attempt to destroy evidence.
Veeramani, Shanthi and Mahendra were arrested on August 29. The police subsequently identified the survivor seen in the video, and her statement was recorded before a Judicial Magistrate. Police have since said that several other women who were allegedly sexually abused by Veeramani as minors have come forward, and the investigation has been expanded to identify other survivors and establish the locations where the alleged offences took place.