In R Veeramani Case, Another Woman Says Minor Daughter Was Sexually Abused

A fresh case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against Gem Granites chairman R Veeramani following a complaint from a woman who has alleged that her daughter was sexually abused when she was a minor, sources said. 

The complaint was filed as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continued its investigation into the case involving Veeramani. The latest complaint has led to a separate case being registered, adding another allegation of sexual abuse involving a minor to the investigation.

Police have also appealed to members of the public who may possess information, evidence or other details connected to the case to come forward and assist the investigation. The police have introduced a dedicated WhatsApp number -- 9345319676 -- through which members of the public can provide information or file complaints relating to the case.

The Veeramani case has been a major political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu, with both Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and opposition leader and former chief minister MK Stalin sparring over it. 

DMK president Stalin accused Vijay of "political hypocrisy and administrative failure" over his comments on the Veeramani case. In a social media post last week, Stalin responded to Vijay's campaign speech in Madurantakam ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypoll. Vijay, who heads the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had described his party as a "pure force" and the DMK as an "evil force".

The TVK chief has repeatedly used the "evil force" description for the DMK since the run-up to the April Assembly election. During his Madurantakam speech, he also alleged collusion between the DMK, AIADMK and BJP and claimed that the POCSO case involving Gem Granites chairman R Veeramani had been "buried" by the previous DMK regime.

Stalin rejected the allegation and said he had already explained his position on the matter in the Assembly.

"Chief Minister Vijay, who has said that he has stopped acting in films, continues to act before the people. Today I saw your dialogue delivery at the Madurantakam shooting. I have a few questions for you," Mr Stalin wrote, referring to Vijay's description of the two parties.

He also questioned Vijay's description of the TVK as a "pure force", pointing to the party's induction of former AIADMK leaders. Among those cited by Stalin was Maragatham Kumaravel, whom the TVK has fielded as its candidate in the bypoll.

Stalin also accused Vijay of "surrendering" to the BJP rather than mounting a genuine opposition.

"How many times have you spoken against the BJP since forming the government? How many protests have you led? Was everything you did against the BJP merely a peaceful revolution or, in truth, a surrender?" he asked.

He further alleged that the TVK had sought to attract legislators from the NDA coalition and questioned whether efforts to poach AIADMK legislators even before the "indelible ink" on their fingernails had faded could be described as a "pure force".

Stalin also attacked the state government's record on governance, alleging that welfare measures introduced by the TVK government were largely rebranded versions of DMK schemes. He criticised the administration over power outages, inflation, milk shortages and law-and-order issues.

On Vijay's allegations concerning the Veeramani case, Stalin said he had already clarified his position in detail on the floor of the Assembly and rejected the demand for another explanation.

He also referred to observations by the Madras High Court against politicising the investigation. Stalin questioned the decision to raise a sensitive case involving allegations under the POCSO Act during an election campaign.

He called on Vijay to undertake "self-examination" and observe the political standards expected of the state's highest elected office.