First chargesheet filed against Gem Granites founder Veeramani in POCSO case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the serious cases of sexual exploitation of minors registered against Gem Granites founder R. Veeramani has filed its first chargesheet. According to a report by 'The Hindu', State Government counsel R. John Sathyan provided this important information to the Madras High Court on Thursday, November 12, 2026. This chargesheet was submitted to the special court for POCSO cases in Chennai on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Numerous cases have been registered against Veeramani under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and other laws.

The government counsel, appearing before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, clarified that the SIT plans to file multiple chargesheets in this case simultaneously. He assured the court that chargesheets in the remaining criminal cases would also be filed sequentially within the next 10 to 15 days. A status report regarding the progress of the investigation into this sensitive case was also submitted to the court by the SIT. After observing the report, the judge expressed satisfaction with the investigation process and directed the High Court registry to keep the report in safe custody.

In the background of this case, a writ petition was filed in the High Court by R. Varaki and advocate M.L. Ravi, seeking to transfer the investigation from the state police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, finding no grounds to transfer the investigation at this stage, the judge asked the SIT to work peacefully and ordered them to submit investigation reports regularly. During Thursday's hearing, when the petitioner's counsel attempted to present some evidence in court, the judge instructed them to hand over all such material directly to the SIT instead of waiting for court proceedings.

Furthermore, the government counsel confirmed in court that the SIT is also investigating whether any police officers or other individuals attempted to shield the main accused, Veeramani. When the judge questioned why the SIT was not conducting media briefings, the government counsel replied that the team is avoiding interaction with the media to ensure that sensitive information related to the sexual exploitation of minors is not disclosed. The hearing for other writ petitions related to this case has now been adjourned until November 30, 2026.

Gem Granites is a leading granite manufacturing and exporting company in India, founded by R. Veeramani. The company built a major reputation in the granite industry over decades and expanded its operations globally. However, following recent serious allegations of sexual exploitation of minors, the company and its founder have become embroiled in legal troubles. Previously, Veeramani's daughter Archana had also filed a petition in the High Court alleging human rights violations by the SIT. Additionally, videos allegedly showing the exploitation of a minor by Veeramani have been seized by the police, which have become a crucial part of the investigation.