Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Sep 23: The ruling TVK on Wednesday demanded that DMK president M.K. Stalin explain how the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R. Veeramani was handled during the previous government, alleging that the investigation was weakened and questioning the filing of the final report.
In a statement, the TVK accused the previous government of failing to take effective action in the case, which had attracted widespread public attention. The party sought an account from Stalin on decisions taken while the DMK was in power.
The TVK questioned why Stalin, whom it referred to as the arangavalar, or trustee, of the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, had not acted against Veeramani. It also alleged that the case had been “buried”.
However, the statement did not provide evidence to establish that Stalin had intervened in the investigation.
The party also questioned former Law Minister S. Regupathy over video footage submitted in connection with the case. It challenged his reported contention that the footage was unclear and asked whether that assessment had influenced the investigation.
“Under whose pressure did the then Law Minister Regupathy allow the investigation to be weakened? What was the reason?” the TVK asked.
The party further sought an explanation for the filing of the final report, alleging that it was submitted without a proper investigation. The statement, however, did not provide details of the final report or identify any specific investigative decision that it wanted reviewed.
The TVK also questioned the DMK leadership’s silence over the matter and asked whether there was any reason for the party to remain silent.
“Who are you trying to protect through this silence? If there was no connection, should you not answer these questions openly?” it said.
The allegations against Veeramani relate to provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The TVK's statement has brought the previous government's handling of the case into the political debate, focusing on the investigation, the handling of evidence and the filing of the final report.
The allegations made by the TVK do not by themselves establish any wrongdoing by Stalin or Regupathy. Their responses to the issues raised in the statement were not available in the material provided.