Madras High Court to hear PIL seeking CBI or SIT probe in Veeramani POCSO case
The Madras High Court will consider a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking to transfer the investigation into an alleged child sexual abuse case involving granite businessman R. Veeramani from the Greater Chennai City police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan told Senior Counsel N.L. Rajah, who mentioned the matter on Friday, that the petition would be taken up for hearing after the Registry verifies whether the papers are in order and numbers it.
The petitioner, C. Rajashekaran of Chennai, has submitted that serious allegations of sexual abuse of minor girls came to light in the city recently, and that the disclosures point to gaps in the way the investigation was handled at the initial stage.
According to the petition, the Central Crime Branch police registered a First Information Report on October 7, 2025, after a child rights worker approached the police and handed over a pen drive containing a video of the sexual abuse of a minor girl. The investigation that followed did not immediately lead to the identification of the minor or to the arrest of those allegedly involved. The police instead filed a report before a special court constituted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, stating their decision to drop further action.
The special court declined to accept that report and directed further investigation. That inquiry led to the arrest of the businessman and two co-accused. The probe widened substantially afterwards, and some of the victims were identified and their statements recorded, the petitioner has stated.
The petitioner has argued that although the investigation was moving ahead, sections of the press and media had drawn conclusions and linked the case to political parties and to persons who have held high constitutional offices. This, the petition contends, is not only interrupting an ongoing investigation but also creating confusion in the minds of the general public.
Pointing to photographs circulating on social media showing Ministers in the State's ruling party as well as leaders of Opposition parties with the prime accused, the petitioner said these images were being used to suggest that politicians were hand in glove with the accused. He urged the court to order a probe by the CBI or an SIT, on the ground that the matter was being sensationalised and politicised, and sought a direction restraining the press, media (including social media) and the public from circulating any pictures, screenshots, videos or other content relating to the case.
In a separate development, Justice V. Lakshminarayanan agreed to hear an urgent writ petition filed by Tulir Charitable Trust, an organisation working for the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse. The trust seeks directions to the Tamil Nadu government, the State police and television channels, including India Today, Republic TV and Sathyam TV, to identify, remove and disable access to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).
The organisation has 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.
The cases are at the stage of investigation, and the accused persons have not been convicted. Under the POCSO Act and established judicial practice, the identity of child victims is protected, and reporting must not reveal details that could lead to their identification. The court's directions in both matters will be watched closely for their bearing on the balance between press freedom, the right to a fair trial and the protection of children.
