Coimbatore Police Commissioner N Kannan and senior IPS officer A Arun have been placed on compulsory wait by the Tamil Nadu government amid allegations of inaction on a 2024 complaint against granite businessman R Veeramani, who is currently in judicial custody in a POCSO case involving alleged sexual assault of minor girls.
Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday, September 24, removed two senior police officers, including Coimbatore City Police Commissioner N Kannan, from their posts and placed them on compulsory wait amid allegations of inaction on a complaint filed against granite businessman R Veeramani in November 2024.
Kannan, who was serving as the Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police in Coimbatore, and A Arun, who is currently serving as Additional Director General of Police and Director of the Tamil Nadu Police Academy, were among the officers named in the government order.
The action comes amid allegations that the police failed to act on a complaint concerning the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls by Veeramani and his associate Shanthi. At the time the complaint was reportedly lodged, Kannan was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police in Chennai, while Arun was the Chennai City Police Commissioner.
According to Ranjan Kumar, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s Scheduled Caste Department, he submitted a complaint to the Chennai police in November 2024 seeking action against Veeramani and Shanthi. He alleged that no action was taken on the complaint.
Veeramani, who is the chairman of GEM Granites, was arrested on August 29 along with Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan in connection with a POCSO case involving alleged sexual offences against minor girls. They were subsequently remanded in judicial custody.
The case has drawn attention to the handling of the initial complaint and the police investigation. The Tamil Nadu government’s latest action places the two senior officers on compulsory wait as the allegations surrounding the case continue to be examined.
Kannan, who was serving as the Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police in Coimbatore, and A Arun, who is currently serving as Additional Director General of Police and Director of the Tamil Nadu Police Academy, were among the officers named in the government order.
The action comes amid allegations that the police failed to act on a complaint concerning the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls by Veeramani and his associate Shanthi. At the time the complaint was reportedly lodged, Kannan was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police in Chennai, while Arun was the Chennai City Police Commissioner.
According to Ranjan Kumar, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s Scheduled Caste Department, he submitted a complaint to the Chennai police in November 2024 seeking action against Veeramani and Shanthi. He alleged that no action was taken on the complaint.
Veeramani, who is the chairman of GEM Granites, was arrested on August 29 along with Shanthi and her husband Mahendra Simhan in connection with a POCSO case involving alleged sexual offences against minor girls. They were subsequently remanded in judicial custody.
The case has drawn attention to the handling of the initial complaint and the police investigation. The Tamil Nadu government’s latest action places the two senior officers on compulsory wait as the allegations surrounding the case continue to be examined.