Chennai: Former Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun and six other police personnel have been named as accused in connection with the POCSO case against Gem Granites founder R Veeramani by the SIT, police sources said on Friday.
The police officers, including former Anti-Vice Squad Assistant Commissioner M A Yasmin, have been named in the first FIR filed by the Special Investigation Team.
They are accused of failing to conduct a proper inquiry into the original complaint, which led to the filing of a closure report before a special court earlier this year.
Simultaneously, the SIT filed its first charge sheet against Veeramani and two of his car drivers, Parthiban and Babu, for the alleged sexual abuse of a 14-year-old Dalit girl.
The 720-page final report, citing 40 witnesses, was submitted before the Special Court for exclusive trial of cases under the POCSO Act at the High Court campus on November 11. The charge sheet was filed within 46 days of the case being registered on September 27.
According to investigators, the prime accused, Veeramani, sexually abused the minor girl, while his drivers were arraigned for transporting and dropping the survivor at his residence despite knowing the offence.
The three accused have been charged under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The SIT was constituted on September 24 by the Director General of Police (DGP) under the supervision of the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner to investigate the initial case and related matters. Following its formation, seven fresh cases involving nine minor survivors were registered based on complaints from the victims or their mothers.
Eight associates of Veeramani have also been arrested in connection with the network, while the SIT continues its parallel investigation against the seven booked police officials.