The Special Investigation Team investigating the alleged sexual abuse of a 14-year-old Dalit girl in Chennai has named former city police commissioner A Arun and six other police personnel as accused in a separate case over alleged lapses in the original investigation.
The seven officials were named in the first FIR registered by the SIT, according to police sources cited by the Times of India. They include former Anti-Vice Squad assistant commissioner M A Yasmin. The officials are accused of failing to conduct a proper inquiry into the original POCSO complaint, after which a closure report was filed before a special court earlier this year.
The development coincides with the SIT filing its first chargesheet against Gem Granites founder R Veeramani and two of his drivers, Parthiban and Babu. The 720-page final report was submitted on November 11 before the Special Court for exclusive trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at the High Court campus.
The chargesheet, filed within 46 days of the case being registered on September 27, cites 40 witnesses. Investigators have accused Veeramani of sexually abusing the minor girl. His drivers have been accused of transporting the survivor to and dropping her at Veeramani’s residence despite allegedly knowing about the offence.
The three men have been charged under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The allegations remain subject to proceedings before the designated court.
The case has widened beyond the alleged offence itself to include scrutiny of how the original complaint was handled by the police. The SIT was constituted on September 24 by the Director General of Police under the supervision of the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner to investigate the original case and related matters.
Following its formation, the team registered seven fresh cases involving nine minor survivors. The cases were based on complaints filed by the victims or their mothers. Eight associates of Veeramani have also been arrested in connection with what investigators are examining as a wider network.
The SIT is continuing its parallel investigation into the seven police officials named in the FIR. The chargesheet against Veeramani and the two drivers marks the first final report filed by the team in the case, while the proceedings concerning the police officials remain ongoing.
