Chennai, Oct 16:
The Special POCSO Court Chennai on Friday rejected anticipatory bail for businessman Prakash, cited as an accused on charges of handling multi-crore financial settlements to shield granite baron R.Veeramani and cover up the POCSO cases against him.
He was charged with collecting money from the tainted bizman and allegedly bribing police officers to close the POCSO case against Gem Granites Founder.
After the police stumbled upon the involvement of Prakash, son of top railway trade union SRMU leader N.Kanniah, the investigators had issued a summons directing him to appear for questioning.
Apprehending arrest, Prakash approached the special court seeking anticipatory bail. During the hearing before Judge Ms.S.Padma, his counsel argued that the allegations against him were baseless, that no complaint had been filed against him and that he had cooperated with the investigation. The counsel sought anticipatory bail on these grounds.
Opposing the plea, the police submitted that the investigation was at an initial stage and that enlarging him on bail bail could affect the probe. They also told the court that the alleged transfer of several crores of rupees needed to be investigated.
The Judge accepted the arguments advanced by the police and dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by Prakash, who was now facing an imminent arrest.
During the arguments, Senior counsel Abudukumar Rajarathinam, appearing for Prakash, argued that his client had no involvement in the alleged offences and that the accusations made by the police were baseless. He also submitted that the financial transactions between Prakash and Veeramani were purely business-related and had no connection with the alleged offences.
Police have already filed seven cases against the bizman, including for abetting the suicide of a minor in 2004 after she was sexually assaulted by him in which he was formally arrested today.
Veeramani was arrested after the POCSO court rejected the closure report and ordered the police to probe the matter based on the FIR registered in October 2025. Cases were registered against Veeramani and others under Secs 7,8,15(1), and 21(1) of the POCSO Act, Sections 354(A), 354(C), 201, and 120(B) of IPC and Sections 66(E), and 67(B) of the IT Act.
Police have so far arrested seven people in the case. Based on a complaint from a child right activist and a pen drive given by him containing video footages of the sexual assault on a minor by the bizman, Veeramani and two of his acquaintances Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simkan were arrested on August 29 and all the three were detained under the Goondas act following receipt of more complaints against him and recording of statements from the victims. Later four more–his former employee Ganesan and three drivers were arrested.