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Distressing reports of heinous crimes against minor girls have surfaced in Tamil Nadu in September 2026 with a powerful business tycoon – 84-year-old Gem Granites founder R. Veeramani – at the centre of the allegations.
Veeramani, who, along with two others, was arrested late August for the sexual assault of a minor girl – visuals of which were in the possession of the Chennai police as early as October 2025 following a complaint by a child rights activist – is now facing multiple allegations of child sexual abuse, with several survivors (all of whom were aged 12-15 at the time of the incidents) having come forward and recorded their statements.
The Chennai police, meanwhile, are under fire for failing to take timely action against Veeramani and his co-accused Shanthi, 55, and Mahendra Simhan, 60 – whose bunglow was allegedly used by Veeramani to commit the crime – and filing a report before a court, recommending that further action be dropped. The report, however, was rejected by the court, resulting in the current investigation.
The TVK-led government has consequently removed two senior IPS officers from their posts – A. Arun, ADGP, Tamil Nadu Police Academy, and N. Kannan, Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore – who were at the helm of the Chennai Police Commissionerate when the complaint first surfaced. A special investigation team (SIT), comprising women officials, has also been set up to probe the crime and related matters.
The Hindu has been closely following the case, dubbed as Tamil Nadu’s ‘Epstein Files’. Here is a compilation of all the stories we have done on the case so far. Tune into our coverage.
Distressing reports of heinous crimes against minor girls have surfaced in Tamil Nadu in September 2026 with a powerful business tycoon – 84-year-old Gem Granites founder R.