Chennai police have invoked Tamil Nadu’s Goondas Act against Gem Granites owner R. Veeramani and two of his associates, Shanthi and Mahendran, who are accused in a child sexual abuse case. The preventive detention orders were issued by the Chennai City Police Commissioner on 1 October, and the three remain in judicial custody. Veeramani was arrested on 29 August after a special POCSO court rejected an attempt by investigators to close the case for want of evidence. The case dates back to October 2025, when a child welfare volunteer handed police a pen drive containing video footage said to show a minor girl being assaulted at a guest house in Teynampet.
Police had sought closure of the file in February 2026, citing insufficient evidence, but the court ordered a fresh probe in August. The renewed investigation turned up more digital material and victim statements, and seven more minor girls have since been identified as connected to the case. One survivor belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, so provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act have also been added to the charges. A Special Investigation Team set up by Tamil Nadu Police is handling the inquiry. The government has told police to step up the investigation and act against everyone found connected to the alleged offences.
The detention under the Goondas Act, which allows a person to be held for up to a year without trial, was part of a wider action against 14 people in Chennai described as repeat offenders. The others include five young men accused in a 5 September public stabbing murder and several accused in narcotics and other violent cases. The move follows the state law minister’s accusation that the previous DMK-led government shielded Veeramani from prosecution, which has turned the case into a sharp political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu. Preventive detention makes it harder for the accused to secure bail while the trial and investigation continue.