'Gave Video Proof In 2022': Congress Leader On Granite Baron Child Abuse Case

In a claim that could raise questions over the timeline of the investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of girls linked to granite businessman Veeramani, Tamil Nadu Congress leader Ranjan Kumar says he had approached the Chennai Police with a complaint against Veeramani as early as November 2022.

His claim challenged the Chennai Police's stated timeline that the tip-off video was received only on October 6, 2025, with a first information report (FIR) filed the following day.

A copy of the complaint accessed by NDTV appeared to bear Ranjan Kumar's signature and was dated November 21, 2022. More significantly, the complaint specifically named Veeramani and Shanti and referred to video evidence allegedly showing sexual abuse of girls.

In the complaint, Ranjan Kumar said videos of Veeramani allegedly sexually abusing girls at Shanti's house had been secretly recorded and "handed over to me" for taking action against the two.

The complaint alleged the videos showed Veeramani taking girls into a bedroom, giving them chocolates and gifts and sexually abusing them.

Ranjan Kumar, who heads the Tamil Nadu Congress SC/ST Wing, said he had presented screenshots of the alleged video to the police and recorded in his complaint that he had video evidence.

Ranjan said he personally went to the Chennai Police Commissionerate, entered and signed his name in the visitors' register and met a senior police officer. According to him, the officer did not provide an acknowledgement but promised to get back to him after discussing the matter with the police commissioner.

Ranjan said he subsequently shared the video with an inspector attached to the Anti Vice Squad, who had been following up on his complaint. The inspector had sought the video for investigation. Ranjan said he met another police officer after that.

A senior police officer told NDTV Ranjan had submitted to him a complaint mentioning Veeramani's name. "Ranjan did give me the complaint mentioning Veeramani's name. It required specialised investigation. Hence, I forwarded it to the Commissioner of Police, after which the Anti Vice Squad, I understand, pursued it. Anti Vice Squad wasn't under me," the officer told NDTV, requesting anonymity.

The complaint said Ranjan was particularly concerned that girls from oppressed communities could be among those allegedly targeted. He said this was one of the reasons he decided to approach the police.

Ranjan said he recorded the video when Shanti, who is among those arrested in the case, played it for him. Explaining his association with Shanti, Ranjan said he had first met her in connection with a property she was seeking to sell on East Coast Road. The deal did not materialise.

He said she contacted him again in September seeking help over alleged intimidation by a political party's leader from southern Tamil Nadu. It was during that interaction, Ranjan said, that Shanti played the video. "I had recorded the video as it played on the TV," he said.

Ranjan said the video he had given to the police could be the same material that the police subsequently placed on a pen drive. "I believe it's the video I gave which the police have put in a pen drive and staged," Ranjan said.

The Chennai Police are yet to respond to Ranjan's claims. The police said they got the tip-off video only on October 6, 2025 and that the FIR was filed the next day.

The police have summoned two inspectors and an assistant commissioner from the Anti Vice Squad as part of the investigation into the handling of the case.

Veeramani, Shanti and her husband have been arrested so far. Police said Shanti and her husband abetted the crime at a house rented by Veeramani. Ganesan, a former employee, has also been arrested, with the police alleging he had the video but did not report it to the police.

The police are also tracking a money trail of around Rs 90 crore, sources said. The allegation is that large sums were paid to police personnel and parents of survivors as part of an alleged effort to cover up the case.

The case has acquired a political dimension ahead of by-elections to two seats. The ruling TVK has alleged that Veeramani was not arrested during the previous DMK regime and there was an attempt to close the case which a POCSO court had turned down.

The DMK, in response, said an FIR was registered against Veeramani the very next day after the complaint and that there was no concrete evidence at the time to arrest him but the police had only deferred the case waiting for strong evidence.