Veeramani POCSO case: Tamil Nadu removes IPS officers from posts

Chennai: Two senior IPS officers who were holding key positions in the Chennai Police Commissionerate when allegations of sexual abuse involving minor girls linked to Gem Granites owner Veeramani first came to the authorities’ attention have been removed from their posts, The Hindu reported.

A Home Department order issued on Thursday, September 24, transferred A. Arun, ADGP of the Tamil Nadu Police Academy, and N. Kannan, Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore, with immediate effect and placed both officers on compulsory wait. The order did not state the reasons for their removal.

The action comes amid questions over the police response to an earlier complaint concerning the allegations. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee SC department leader Ranjan Kumar has said he approached Kannan in November 2024, when the latter was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police, Chennai. According to Kumar, he was told that the complaint would be taken up after discussions with the then Chennai Police Commissioner Arun.

However, police registered an FIR only the following year, reportedly after receiving an anonymous letter and a pen drive through a representative of an NGO. The material was allegedly linked to evidence concerning the reported sexual abuse.

The developments have placed renewed focus on how the allegations were initially handled and why formal police action came later.

Following the transfers, DGP (Training) Rajeev Kumar has been assigned additional responsibility for the Tamil Nadu Police Academy. R.V. Ramya Bharati, IGP, West Zone, will additionally serve as Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore.