Palaniswami accuses Tamil Nadu government of delaying arrest in POCSO case

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has accused Tamil Nadu’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government of delaying the arrest of industrialist R. Veeramani in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Palaniswami made the allegation on Saturday while campaigning for his party’s candidate, Kanitha Sampath, in the Madurantakam reserved Assembly constituency, where a by-election is scheduled. He questioned why the arrest had been delayed after a special court insisted on the action. According to Palaniswami, the arrest order followed repeated adjournment requests by a government pleader and the filing of a report indicating that further action had been dropped.

The AIADMK leader also alleged that two ministers from the TVK had shared a stage with Veeramani at a function and that one of them had described the industrialist as a family friend. Palaniswami said the government was shielding the accused and accused it of blaming another party while seeking public sympathy. He said the position taken by P.

Shanmugam, Tamil Nadu secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was similar. The AIADMK leader also criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and referred to his acting career while attacking the government’s conduct.

During the campaign, Palaniswami listed what he described as cases of crime, including murders and violence against women, since the TVK-led administration took office. The supplied report contains Palaniswami’s allegations but no response from the Tamil Nadu government, Vijay, Veeramani or the ministers mentioned.