Tamil Nadu Congress leader says he told Chennai Police about Veer

A Tamil Nadu Congress functionary has publicly disputed the Chennai Police timeline in the child sexual abuse case allegedly involving Gem Granites owner R. Veeramani, saying he alerted police in November 2024 and later sent them a video clip connected to the alleged crime.

Congress leader says complaint was given in November 2024

M.P. Ranjan Kumar, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s Scheduled Caste Department, said on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) that he had informed the Chennai Police about the alleged crime as early as November 2024.

He said that the following month he also shared with the police a video clip in which a man resembling the octogenarian business magnate was seen abusing a minor girl.

“I met a senior police officer at the Chennai Police Commissionerate in Egmore on November 22, 2024, and submitted a written complaint (dated November 21), seeking action against Veeramani and his associate Shanthi (both now in custody). I also attached screenshots from the video clip,” Mr. Kumar said.

Mr. Kumar shared with The Hindu a copy of the complaint that he claimed he had handed over to the senior police officer.

He also shared screenshots of his WhatsApp conversation with the officer, in which he sought an appointment to discuss the issue.

His claim is significant because it contradicts the Chennai Police’s statement that they had received a complaint and a pen drive of the video of the sexual abuse through an NGO only in October 2025.

What he says happened after the complaint

Mr. Kumar said the senior officer assured him that action would be taken after conferring with the then Police Commissioner.

“The senior officer assured me that action would be taken after conferring with the then Police Commissioner. On November 25, 2024, an Inspector from the Anti-Vice Squad sought information related to the case. On December 17, 2024, I sent him (Inspector) the video clip. Thereafter, I was repeatedly asked if I knew the victims seen in the video,” he said.

Mr. Kumar said he did not know the victims seen in the video.

“I did not know them, but I insisted that if the police could summon Veeramani and Shanthi or conduct a surprise raid at their homes, they would be able to retrieve more evidence,” he said.

He alleged that the police gradually stopped correspondence with him on the case.

The Congress leader said he was making the disclosure because some vested interests were seeking to link him with the scandal.

He also said the police had not acknowledged his role and were now seeking to push back the case by a year by claiming they had received a complaint only last year.

Allegations in the written complaint

In his complaint, Mr. Kumar had alleged: “Gem Granites proprietor, Veeramani, had been frequenting the residence of Shanthi and had been preying on girl children aged between 14 and 16, particularly belonging to oppressed and minority communities. I had been given the possession of videos that show sexual acts performed by him on girl children...”

He had lodged the complaint “in the hope that the children would be protected”.

The complaint named Veeramani and Shanthi, and Mr. Kumar has said both are now in custody.

The allegations remain attributed to Mr. Kumar and his complaint, while the case has been described in the source material as a child sexual abuse case allegedly involving R. Veeramani.

How Mr. Kumar says he obtained the video

When asked how he got hold of the video, Mr. Kumar claimed that Shanthi, with whom he was acquainted in the course of real estate business, had approached him in August 2024 seeking help.

According to Mr. Kumar, Shanthi claimed she was being threatened by a political party’s founder, influential in certain southern districts, because of a “misconception” about her financial dealings with Veeramani.

Mr. Kumar said he then organised a meeting with the politician at an upscale hotel in Chennai.

At that meeting, he claimed, the politician used “harsh language” at Shanthi and alleged that she was extorting Veeramani.

“I realised something wasn’t right at that moment,” Mr. Kumar said.

Later, Mr. Kumar claimed, he met Shanthi at her home near Poes Garden.

He said Shanthi reportedly tried to explain her relationship with Veeramani and played the video featuring Veeramani engaging in obscene acts on her television.

“I took a video of what was playing on the television and immediately sought counsel with my lawyers on how to take this forward legally. Thereafter, I approached the police,” he said.

Why the disclosure matters

Mr. Kumar’s account places his alleged written complaint, screenshots and later sharing of the video clip in November and December 2024, before the October 2025 timeline cited by the Chennai Police.

The difference between the two timelines matters because Mr. Kumar says the police had earlier contact with him on the case, including an assurance from a senior officer and a later request for information from an Inspector from the Anti-Vice Squad.

It also matters because he alleges that after he sent the video clip on December 17, 2024, police correspondence with him gradually stopped.

Mr. Kumar said he was aghast that he was being slandered over the issue.

“I am ready to co-operate fully with the police to ensure justice for the victims,” he said.

The report was published on September 24, 2026 at 06:30 am IST.

Source: The Hindu