TVK demands Stalin‘s explanation over handling of Veeramani POCSO case

CHENNAI:
The ruling TVK on Wednesday demanded that DMK President M.K. Stalin explain how the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R. Veeramani was handled during the previous government.

The party alleged that the investigation was allowed to weaken and questioned why a final report was filed.

In a statement, TVK accused the former government of failing to take effective action in a case that had drawn widespread public concern. It called on Stalin to account for the decisions taken while his party was in power.

The statement asked why Stalin, whom it described as the arangavalar, or trustee, of the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, had not acted against Veeramani. It also alleged that the case had been “buried”. These were TVK’s accusations; the statement did not provide evidence establishing that Stalin intervened in the investigation.

TVK also questioned former Law Minister S. Regupathy over his handling of video footage submitted in connection with the case. It challenged his contention that the footage was unclear and asked whether that assessment had affected the course of the investigation.

“Under whose pressure did the then Law Minister Regupathy allow the investigation to be weakened? What was the reason?” the TVK asked.

The party sought an explanation for the filing of the final report, alleging that it had been submitted without a proper investigation. Its statement did not set out the contents of the report or identify a specific decision by investigators that it wanted reviewed.

Turning to Stalin, the TVK asked why the DMK leadership had remained silent about the case. “Who are you trying to protect through this silence? If there was no connection, should you not answer these questions openly?” it said.

TVK’s statement puts the previous government’s handling of the case at the centre of the political dispute. Its questions concern both the investigation itself and whether senior DMK figures had any role in decisions about the evidence or the final report.

The allegations against Veeramani arise under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. TVK’s latest intervention does not establish wrongdoing by Stalin or Regupathy. Their responses to the questions raised in Wednesday’s statement were not included in the material provided for this report.