The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday moved the Madras high court seeking a direction to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Pocso case against granite baron R Veeramani to summon CM C Joseph Vijay and ministers Aadhav Arjuna and C T R Nirmal Kumar for inquiry.
In its plea filed through party treasurer and MP TR Baalu, the DMK urged the Court to ask the SIT to summon the chief minister and the two TVK ministers to “obtain any evidence in their possession.” The petitioner referred to the respondents’ public allegations that the previous DMK regime had protected Veeramani and claimed to have material evidence to support the allegations. He said if they had information or evidence connected with the case, they were required to place it before the SIT.
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Cops ask for evidence to be furnished
The petition said the Commissioner of Police had also issued a public appeal asking anyone with information about the case to furnish it to the investigating agency. In these circumstances, Baalu said, the SIT had a duty to summon the CM and ministers and obtain the material forming the basis of their public statements.
{{/usCountry}}The petition said the Commissioner of Police had also issued a public appeal asking anyone with information about the case to furnish it to the investigating agency. In these circumstances, Baalu said, the SIT had a duty to summon the CM and ministers and obtain the material forming the basis of their public statements.
{{/usCountry}}“The source of the information forming the basis of the statements made by the aforesaid persons and whether they had access to any investigation-related material which was not legitimately to be made available to them also required examination," the plea said.
The petition added the failure to share material evidence with investigators would amount to concealment of material evidence. He also questioned how the three individuals could have access to probe-related material, if their statements were based on such material.
Baalu also said he had submitted a representation to the Additional Commissioner of Police heading the SIT, seeking that CM Vijay, Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar be summoned and that all materials, documents, records and information in their possession relating to the case be secured.
The petition claimed the request was not based on political disagreement but concerned the integrity of the ongoing criminal investigation. Baalu said the public statements could not be treated merely as political statements since they concerned an ongoing investigation into alleged offences against children.
Allegations of sexual assault
Veeramani and two others were arrested on August 28 in connection with allegations of sexual assault of minor girls. Police had said they registered the case after receiving a USB drive from the Intelligence and Technology Police Unit containing video clips that allegedly showed Veeramani sexually assaulting juvenile girls.
The police had also said their investigation revealed that Veeramani had rented a house in Teynampet, where he allegedly lured and sexually assaulted the victims. The two caretakers of the house, Mahendra Simhan and his wife Shanti, were also arrested. The state government constituted an SIT on September 25 to investigate the case.
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The team comprises Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, P C Thenmozhi, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Disha Mittal, Superintendent of Police and Media Relations Officer in the office of the DGP, J Mutharasi, and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Against Women and Children, V V Geethanjali. The SIT will function under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, the state had told the Madras High Court last week. The present plea is yet to be taken up for hearing.