Veeramani associates seek bail in Chennai POCSO case, court seeks reply
Two associates of granite baron R Veeramani sought bail before the Chennai POCSO Special Court. Their plea has sharpened scrutiny of the delayed FIR and intensified the political row in Tamil Nadu.
Two associates of granite baron R Veeramani, an accused in a POCSO case, moved the POCSO Special Court in Chennai on Thursday seeking bail. The court directed the police to file a counter affidavit on the petitions filed by Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan, who are associated with Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.
The case has also led to a political row in Tamil Nadu. Police said Veeramani, 84, Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan were arrested in connection with the case and later produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.
When the matter was taken up, Judge Padma asked the prosecution to file a detailed response and adjourned the hearing to September 29.
In their joint bail plea, Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan questioned the validity of the proceedings, pointing to the gap between the alleged offence and the registration of the FIR. They said the complaint, registered in October 2025, related to an incident that allegedly took place in 2019.
The petitioners also argued that the complainant was neither an alleged victim nor a parent or legal guardian of the alleged victims. They said the investigation had substantially progressed, the evidence had already been collected, and there was no possibility of them tampering with witnesses.
They further submitted that they had been in judicial custody for nearly four weeks and that the police had not sought their custody for interrogation during this period. They told the court they were willing to comply with any conditions that may be imposed if bail was granted.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution told the court that all procedures were strictly followed during the arrests and that the accused were produced before the magistrate without delay. Police also said the identities of the survivors were being kept confidential in line with the law to protect their privacy.
The bail pleas by Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan will now be taken up on September 29, with the prosecution expected to place its detailed response before the POCSO Special Court.