Stories
GEM Veeramani POCSO Case: Accused Seek Bail, Citing Delays and Lack of Evidence
- •Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan, arrested in the GEM Veeramani POCSO case, have filed bail petitions.
- •They argue a six-year delay in filing the complaint (2019 incident, 2025 complaint) raises doubts about the case.
- •Petitioners claim no involvement, no identified victim, and police as the sole witnesses, questioning evidence tampering risk.
- •They highlight that nearly three weeks have passed without police seeking custody for interrogation, and evidence is already collected.
- •The Chennai POCSO Special Court has ordered the Central Crime Branch to respond to the bail petitions by September 29.
Key Questions Answered
In their bail petitions, Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan argued that they were not involved in any crime, that the six-year delay in registering the case raises doubts, and that no affected girl has been identified by the complainant. They also noted that evidence has already been collected, the police hold all statements, and authorities have not sought their custody for interrogation even though nearly three weeks have passed since their arrest.
During the court hearing before Judge Padma, police representatives stated that the details of the affected minors have been kept highly confidential, that there was no delay in judicial remand, and that all legal procedures were strictly followed. The police requested and were granted time to file a comprehensive response, leading the judge to adjourn the case to September 29.
The case stems from a complaint filed on October 6, 2025, by the Indian Child Welfare Organization, following which a case was registered on October 7, 2025. The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of industrialist R. Veeramani alongside his associates Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan on August 29, 2026.
