CHENNAI: Granite baron R Veeramani, arrested on Aug 29 in a child rape case, has been booked for another incident of child rape. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Pocso case against Veeramani and other ‘related matters,’ registered the new case against him on Monday based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a minor girl who died by suicide in 2014. Veeramani, currently lodged in the Puzhal Central Prison, was formally arrested by SIT officials through the prison authorities.
Sources said the woman had lodged a complaint against Veeramani following the death of her daughter, a 16-year-old girl who was studying in Class XI at a school in Teynampet. Her body was cremated at Krishnampet crematorium, and Ice House police registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC. Police said records relating to the case later got destroyed when Ice House police station was gutted in a fire in 2017. The all-women SIT, headed by additional commissioner P C Thenmozhi, has issued a general appeal urging people with information, documents or other evidence connected to the cases to approach SIT or share information through WhatsApp at 9345319676.
Police said the identities of informants would be kept confidential. The woman stated that the girl had visited Veeramani’s house and remained aloof for a couple of days before ending her life. After the complaint, the SIT gathered details of the girl’s death from the court concerned and the office of the assistant commissioner of police, where a copy of the FIR had been kept.
The case had remained dormant since then. The woman came forward and lodged a complaint on Sunday after learning about Veeramani’s arrest in another case.