Annamalai Seeks SIT in Gem Granites POCSO Case, Says Probe Must Go Beyond Veeramani
K. Annamalai has demanded an SIT into the POCSO case against industrialist R. Veeramani, saying those who shielded him must face justice.
Former IPS officer and founder of the We The Leaders Movement, K. Annamalai, has urged the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the wider network around the POCSO Act case involving industrialist R. Veeramani of Gem Granites.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Mr. Annamalai said the investigation should not conclude with Mr. Veeramani and his accomplices. He said every police officer, politician and influential person who allegedly helped shield the industrialist over several years must also be brought to justice, and referred to reports that a large sum of money had changed hands in the process.
His remarks came in the context of the arrest of a former employee of Gem Granites in connection with the case. Mr. Annamalai also stressed that the Tamil Nadu police should avoid repeating past errors and must protect the identities of all victims.
He further alleged that the state police force, once regarded as among the best in the country, had in recent years become corrupt and incompetent and was acting at the behest of politicians. He cited the initial investigation into the case against Mr. Veeramani as an illustration of this alleged decline.
The case, registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, concerns allegations that Mr. Veeramani sexually exploited several young children. The probe has since widened, with investigators examining the role of others connected to the industrialist.