PIL in Madras High Court seeks CBI or SIT probe into Veeramani POCSO case

A public interest litigation petition has been moved in the Madras High Court seeking to transfer the investigation into the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered against granite businessman R. Veeramani from the Greater Chennai City police to the Central Bureau of Investigation or a Special Investigation Team.

The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan was told on Friday that the matter would be listed for hearing once the Registry verifies the papers and numbers the petition. Senior Counsel N.L. Rajah made the mention before the Bench.

The plea has been filed by C. Rajhasekaran of Chennai. It contends that grave allegations of sexual abuse of minor girls surfaced in the city recently, and that the disclosures point to shortcomings in the way the probe was handled at the initial stage.

According to the petition, the Central Crime Branch registered a First Information Report on October 7, 2025, after a child rights worker approached the police with a pen drive containing a video of the sexual abuse of a minor girl. The investigation did not immediately lead to identification of the minor or the arrest of those allegedly involved. The police instead filed a report before a special POCSO court expressing their decision to drop further action. The special court declined to accept the report and directed further investigation, following which the granite baron and two co-accused were arrested. The probe widened thereafter, with some victims identified and their statements recorded.

The petitioner submitted that while the investigation was progressing swiftly, the press and media had proceeded on assumptions and linked political parties and persons holding high constitutional posts to the matter. This, the plea says, is not only interrupting the ongoing investigation but also creating confusion in the minds of the public.

The petition points to photographs circulating on social media showing Ministers of the ruling party as well as leaders of Opposition parties with the prime accused, and says such images are being used to suggest that politicians were hand in glove with the accused. It argues that the press and media across formats are using these images to prejudice public opinion, and urges the court to order a probe by the CBI or an SIT since the issue is being sensationalised and politicised.

The petitioner has also sought a direction restraining the press and media, including social media, and the general public from circulating any pictures, screenshots, videos or other content connected to the sexual assault case.

In a related development, Justice V. Lakshminarayanan agreed to hear an urgent writ petition by Tulir Charitable Trust, which works on the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse. The plea seeks directions to the Tamil Nadu government, the State police and television channels, including India Today, Republic TV and Sathyam TV, among others, to identify, remove and disable access to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material.

The organisation submitted that the circulation of such material outside the investigative process raises serious concerns about the custody and confidentiality of highly sensitive evidence and poses an immediate and continuing threat to the privacy, dignity and safety of the victims.