Police seize third video allegedly showing ‘Gem Granites’ Veeramani abusing minor

R. Veeramani and his close associates are facing seven cases under the POCSO Act and a case relating to the abetment of the suicide of a minor in 2004. | Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM The Greater Chennai Police have seized one more video purportedly showing Gem Granites owner R. Veeramani sexually abusing a minor girl, taking the total number of such videos recovered in the case to three, police sources said on Monday.The deleted video, believed to have been recorded a few years ago, was retrieved by cyber forensic experts from a storage device seized from the premises of Shanthi, a close associate of Veeramani. “The video shows the octogenarian businessman in a compromising position with a minor. We suspect that Shanthi recorded the visuals and subsequently deleted them,” a police officer said.Investigators are in the process of identifying the victim in the video. “This is the third video seized in the case and there could be more. With this fresh evidence and a witness in another case of child abuse coming forward as a complainant, the total number of victims has risen to 13,” the officer said. Besides Veeramani, Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan, six other accused persons have so far been arrested in eight different cases and lodged in the Puzhal Central Prison.Police sources said the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Income Tax Department had been alerted about suspicious financial transactions detected during the investigation in the cases of alleged sexual abuse of minors involving Veeramani. The businessman and his close associates are facing seven cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and a case relating to the abetment of the suicide of a minor in 2004.During the course of investigation, police uncovered substantial financial transactions between the Gem Group of Companies, owned by Veeramani, and a private individual, Prakash Kanniah. Investigators subsequently froze the latter’s bank accounts, which reportedly held several crores of rupees, the sources said.Further inquiries revealed that gold bars weighing more than 20 kg had been purchased and delivered at a couple of locations in the city. However, the police could not trace the gold during searches conducted on the premises of the accused persons.The transactions reportedly took place around the time Veeramani sold two parcels of land along the East Coast Road for a total consideration of about ₹80 crore, the sources said.The transfer of substantial money to an individual projected as an adviser to the companies and the purchase of gold bars have come under scrutiny amid allegations that certain persons had used their influence to help Veeramani and his associates evade legal action despite a specific complaint of sexual abuse of a minor against them.Questioning Prakash Kanniah who is said to be absconding and believed to be staying in the United Kingdom could throw more light on the transactions, the sources said.“We suspect that money or gold could have changed hands as part of the larger conspiracy to help the accused persons. Hence, we intimated the ED and the Income Tax Department about the suspicious transactions,” the officer, who did not want to be quoted, said.Assistance for victimsThe police have written to the State government recommending financial assistance for the victims. Some of the 12 minor girls who have so far given statements alleging that they were sexually exploited by Veeramani belong to Scheduled Caste communities.“There are provisions under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for providing financial assistance to victims. We have submitted a proposal to the government recommending suitable compensation,” the officer said.(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.) Published - November 09, 2026 11:18 pm IST