- 1 hour ago
A debate on India Today focuses on the shocking lapses and alleged cover-up in a high-profile Tamil Nadu POCSO investigation involving Veeramani. Political analyst Dr Sumanth C. Raman strongly argued that the state police cannot impartially investigate their own senior officials and urged the state government to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation, noting: 'Clearly somebody wanted to cover it up... this case should be handed over to the CBI.' Meanwhile, TVK national spokesperson Felix Gerald asserted that the administration under Chief Minister Joseph Vijay maintains zero tolerance for crimes against women and children, assuring that no culprit or complicit official will escape accountability. Political analyst Harish Mohammed Ibrahim countered TVK's assertions by highlighting previous actions and questioning political double standards, sparking an intense clash during the broadcast over police closure reports, political interference, and judicial intervention by the POCSO court magistrate.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Joining us on this broadcast, we've got Mr. Suman C. Raman, political analyst, Harish Mohamed Ibrahim,
00:05as well as Felix Gerald, national spokesperson of the TVK.
00:08Mr. Suman C. Raman, I'd like to begin with you.
00:10You know, for the last many weeks, there's been a lot of talk about this particular case.
00:15This should have been happening years ago.
00:17Unfortunately, now is when we've actually found out that something like this even happened in Tamil Nadu.
00:22When there's clear lapses on the part of the police, sir, in the investigation,
00:26would you deem it to be political pressure directly?
00:30Look, we have to find out who wanted this case covered up.
00:34Clearly, somebody wanted to cover it up.
00:37Now, whether it is at the police level or whether it was at the political level
00:41is what the investigation needs to establish.
00:44And in fact, I will go a step further.
00:46And I would say that this case should be handed over to the CBI
00:49for the simple reason that very senior state police officials who are currently in service
00:55are the people against whom the inquiry would logically have to be.
01:00How impartial would the state police be when they are effectively investigating some of their own bosses?
01:06Yeah, the police can't investigate the police very clearly.
01:09Yeah, exactly.
01:10So I think that this case is a fit case for being handed over to the CBI for them.
01:15But clearly, one thing is very clear.
01:17The more and more the evidence that keeps coming out,
01:21it is crystal clear that somebody tried to cover it up in February.
01:26They filed clearly saying that we can.
01:31Now they are hiding under the fig leaf of saying we never asked for the case to be closed.
01:34We only said that there is no evidence.
01:37And, you know, that if there is any fresh evidence,
01:40that is a standard format for all cases which are closed.
01:44That is what is the way, you know, the police says to the court.
01:49So I think it is an absolutely shocking lapse.
01:52And it's hardly happened six, seven months ago.
01:56How was it allowed to happen?
01:58Did nobody, either at the DGP of police at that time,
02:02did not know about this?
02:04Did the, you know, could such a thing have been closed?
02:09Just at the local police level?
02:12I mean, the mind boggles if something like that could have happened.
02:16I find that hard to believe, sir.
02:18I mean, here is someone who is so influential,
02:20who is so influential, I find that very hard to believe.
02:24It is not possible, Akshita, that the local police,
02:28the inspector of the local station or the investigating officer
02:32could have had the guts to go ahead and file an attempt,
02:36I mean, try to close the case.
02:37So clearly, there are higher officials involved, who they are,
02:43whether there was any, you know, money exchange for these favors,
02:48as is being alleged in the, in some sections of Tamil media and some YouTube channels.
02:54All of these need to be investigated.
02:56And it cannot be investigated by the state police with any level of fairness,
03:00because some of those who would potentially, could potentially be accused are their own bosses.
03:05So how is the state government, you know, just saying that we will get to the bottom of this?
03:09It's extremely unlikely, and I would appeal to the state government,
03:13to quietly hand this over to the CBI.
03:16Mr. Felix Gerald, your opening comments.
03:19Why, sir, is the TVK suggesting that there was political pressure,
03:22that there was political influence?
03:23This could have been a handful of corrupt cops at play,
03:26who decided to pocket some money and go ahead and allow him to get away.
03:34You're right, see, there is some kind of a compromise,
03:37whether it is political or money or the police nexus with Veeramani, whatever it may be.
03:45But the government under Chief Minister Joseph Vijay were very much firm.
03:52Even last Friday, Chief Minister had a meeting with the high-level officers,
03:56and he said, don't leave anybody, okay?
03:59And this government is very keen, and we have been telling zero compromise,
04:05zero tolerance on crime against women and children.
04:09And this, we are committed, and we need not go for CBI,
04:14because Chief Minister himself is personally interested,
04:17and he had spoken to the police team more than twice on this particular issue.
04:23So none of them can be escaped.
04:27It can be anybody.
04:29It can be politicians or bureaucrats or policemen or policewomen, whoever it is.
04:36That's good to know, sir.
04:37They all will be brought to justice.
04:38No, sir, that's good to know, and I'm glad the Chief Minister is personally intervening.
04:42The question, however, that's being asked, sir, is that the police is investigating here.
04:46And the police is investigating the police.
04:50Well, it will be the leadership is very clear.
04:52The leadership is very firm to expose everyone, even if it's CBI also, they are also police.
04:58See, but the thing is, if Chief Minister himself has given a clear-cut instruction,
05:03nobody can, you know, disobey him.
05:06Okay.
05:07Mr. Sumansi Raman has a quick point.
05:09Akshita, the point is not about whether the police today would do an honest job or not.
05:16Even assuming they did, tomorrow, if there are political links, the opposition will say
05:22that this is a witch hunt.
05:24They will just claim that they are being victimized and this is a political witch hunt.
05:29Whereas, if the government hands over the case to the CBI, they can say, look, this
05:34has got nothing to do with us.
05:35The CBI is inquiring into it, and this is a heinous crime, and therefore, they have come
05:40to these conclusions.
05:40No, no, me not to be.
05:41That is the reason.
05:42For the credibility of this investigation, it needs to be taken out of the state government.
05:47Now, the state government itself is very clear.
05:49We are, see, imagine a Chief Minister spending two days, two times on this particular issue.
05:56He has called everybody, from Chief Secretary to the Commissioner of Police, DGP, everybody,
06:00and brief.
06:01So, that is the amount of commitment that we have, because it is the problem, and it is
06:08safe.
06:08Nobody will have the heart to take bribe or to close such a case.
06:14It's involved young children, downtrodden, Dalit, marginalized.
06:19How can a police officer or somebody can be influenced on this?
06:24And if you see the closure report, you will literally laugh.
06:28It's completely, it's a pathetic report they have filed to the court.
06:33And this has to be exposed.
06:35Whoever it is, see, he may have a lot of money.
06:37He cannot show his age.
06:40And see, imagine if it is unnoticed, how many young kids would have been exploited.
06:46So, that way, the current government is very, very clear, and we will not compromise, and
06:53we will expose everyone behind this.
06:56Whether political influence, whether there was political pressure as a matter that's still
07:00being investigated.
07:01But Harish Mohamed Ibrahim, let's turn the tables around.
07:04And if something like this happened under the current government, there would be questions
07:08asked of the government.
07:09Whether it's a case of custodial torture, whether it's a case of law in order, whether
07:12it's a case of a crime, whether there's, you know, a clearly lacking police investigation.
07:18Questions are always asked of the government in power then, of the party in power.
07:25Yes, of course.
07:26And I want to reiterate the same point which you have raised.
07:29It is such a heinous crime, and anyone who is a perpetrator or orchestrator who helped
07:36to do such a heinous crime should be reprimanded and brought behind the bars at any given point
07:42of time.
07:43There is no second thought about it.
07:45Having said that, the case has been filed during the DMK period, October 2025.
07:52And then, following that, the two months of crime investigation was happening at that
07:58point of time, and the POKSO case was registered during the same DMK period of time.
08:04And by Jan, the election commission had taken over the entire states with the status code
08:10of election code of contact.
08:12So the government, which is back then, have done their job with all kinds of primacy evidence
08:20which they had at that point of time.
08:22But having said that, if whoever is responsible at this point of time, even after this,
08:28during the election of three to four months, and how they wanted to close this report
08:33with saying that, whomever it may be, who is fabricating all the evidences, who are going
08:39to destroy all the evidences to make sure Mr. Viramani is safe in the hands of law and
08:45orders, should be punished without, not even an iota of doubt.
08:49But whether the same yardstick is going, with your query, I want to put the same yardstick
08:55to the current TVK government, where there is a Sri Vaidundan MLA, Mr. Sharawandan has
09:02been accused by her own party member of the TVK with the molestation charges.
09:08And in a way, another TVK functionary accusing of the TVK district secretary of a molestation
09:14charges.
09:15One second, let me complete.
09:17So, if the same yardstick has to be done for all the women, whomever it may be, whether
09:23it is DMK period, or whether it is TVK, or whether it is ADMK period, what kind of crime
09:29which is happening against children or women should be taken to the same yardstick?
09:34So, it shouldn't be part that the TVK member is doing such kind of molestation, shouldn't
09:39be brought back to the justice system.
09:42No, 100%.
09:43One second, one second, let me complete.
09:45So, that is totally fallacy.
09:47And that kind of apprehension should be stopped with this current TVK government.
09:52Let them go ahead and investigate the previous cases against Viramani.
09:55Because there has been a case where women for about 50 years is accusing, there has been
10:01a molestation happening at 1989.
10:04So, these kind of long-standing criminals should be behind the bars for eternal.
10:10I'm glad you've said that.
10:11I'm glad you've said that.
10:12And, sir, we will get to your allegations against the TVK in just a bit.
10:16I just want to ask you about what happened in those five months.
10:19Did you read the closure report, Mr. Harish Abrahim?
10:22Were you satisfied with what was mentioned in that?
10:24That is what I said.
10:25The current DMK government, the predecessors of the DMK government have done the case by
10:31registering the PROCSO Act till the primary case is evident.
10:35But there has been an allegation leveled against the then-commissioner, then-joined commissioner,
10:40and another deputy commissioner in all the social media and YouTube channels that they
10:45have got money as a ransom to leave this culprit.
10:48So, if that has to be extreme-minded, if that has to be investigated, then please go with
10:53all your length and breadth across the board and make sure whoever is culpable in this previous
10:59crime.
11:00One second.
11:01No, one second.
11:02I will say this.
11:02I will say this, sir.
11:03What they're saying on, all these YouTubers are saying, all of that, you know, that's in
11:08the realm of speculation.
11:09We're not going to go into that because till we get concrete information that this is what
11:13happened...
11:13There was a sabotage attempt to, you know, in this case, that is very clear, whether it
11:24is money or political interference...
11:26No, we don't know the nature of that sabotage.
11:28Let the law take its own goals.
11:30See, look at the kind of approach.
11:35See, whenever there is, whenever DMK is in power, you know, Anah University case, what
11:40happened?
11:41And one, only Gyanasegaran was arrested.
11:45Nobody knows who is the other man he was in touch with.
11:48And there was one person from, if I remember, Daibasayal.
11:53His wife, he came and gave up, it became a big sensational.
11:58His own, his husband was forcing her to be in close to some of the DMK minister.
12:04There was no case file.
12:06In fact, the victim was harassed.
12:09And DMK conducted a public meeting against that particular woman.
12:15So, this is the truth.
12:16Whenever the DMK was in power, they always, they always help the criminals.
12:21They will not stand with the victims.
12:24Sir, Harish Ibrahim, do you want to respond to that?
12:26DMK supporters are saying some kind of, you know, rumors.
12:30Okay.
12:31So, that is not the case.
12:32We are very, very much clear.
12:34No, I think the TVK there is referring to the Anah University case in the investigation
12:38that that happened.
12:38Let me bring that.
12:40Mr. TVK spokesperson want to spread as usual his lies.
12:45And the case was registered within a single day.
12:50And the culprit has been nabbed with them.
12:52No, no, no, not at all.
12:53Not at all.
12:54He is giving a person permission.
12:56Okay, you send me.
12:59After, after, after.
13:00Sir, sir, we heard you.
13:01We heard you.
13:02Sir, you asked me.
13:03I am answering you.
13:06You asked me.
13:07I am answering you.
13:08Your time will come.
13:08Your time will come.
13:09You answer to me.
13:09Who will get me?
13:10Who will give my time?
13:11I will take my own time.
13:14Okay, okay.
13:16Why are you so frustrated?
13:18Sir, there's no one second.
13:19You are giving all kind of false information sitting in the national media.
13:23Okay, Harish, sir, just give us ten seconds.
13:24Harish, Harish.
13:26Just go ahead and respond first to what Harish, sir, has said.
13:28Go ahead.
13:28So, that is wrong.
13:29What he is saying is absolutely lying.
13:33After, after, after media started writing about Anah yesterday.
13:37Harish, sir, one second.
13:38One second.
13:39I will give you your time as well.
13:48Harish, sir, just hold on.
13:49I'll give you your time.
13:50I gave you uninterrupted first three minutes to respond.
13:52Please, sir.
13:53Felix, sir, respond and then I'll bring in Harish.
13:55The FAR leaked.
13:56The FAR police, they've still leaked the FAR.
13:58The name, the victim name was published.
14:01And if you read the FAR, you cannot even, you know, it's so vulgarly written.
14:06The FAR used to all kind of, you know, derogatory.
14:11Anah university case you're asking.
14:12Anah university I'm talking about.
14:13So, that is a commitment, the amount of commitment DMK has for saving the women.
14:18But take this case, for example.
14:21How fast, how speedy the government is working.
14:24Okay, I can assure you one thing.
14:26Nobody can be escaped.
14:27It can be a politician.
14:29It can be a police officer.
14:30It can be whoever it is.
14:31None of them, because CM is very strong, very strong, very, very committed on this.
14:37Okay, sir.
14:37I've given you your time.
14:39Now let Harish, sir, respond.
14:40This monster cannot get away.
14:41He won't get away.
14:42That's your assurance.
14:43Okay, Harish, sir.
14:46As usual, Mr. Felix is spreading all kind of his fallacy, his lies on a national television.
14:53Let me respond to one.
14:54Anah university case, when the issue has been reported at the Kothur Gurung police station,
15:00on the second day, the culprit has been napped.
15:04And with all kind of VLS section, the report has been leaked with the NSVC, which is controlled
15:11by the IT and Information Ministry under the Home Minister.
15:14And when the CRPC and the BNS system switch over of the case happened, the report has been leaked,
15:22the FIR has been leaked, and it has been reprimanded at that point of time.
15:27So don't say that the DNK government is behind that.
15:30And the culprit has been napped immediately with all the scientific evidence.
15:35Well, sir, ask of patience, civility, please.
15:37So all the scientific evidence have been collected, which has been documented,
15:43and made sure that the case has been getting the light within six months under the case,
15:49and the culprit has been sent to the judicial part.
15:52Then the police investigation happened, and the case has been closed with proper judgment
15:57within six months with the post-trail court.
16:00Okay.
16:01And you have another hand, you have another hand.
16:04The DVK government have come almost four months now.
16:08This man is, this man is not, he cannot claim himself as a journalist because he's hiding the facts.
16:14He's hiding the facts.
16:16I haven't interrupted.
16:17He's hiding the facts.
16:19You're not a journalist.
16:21You're a stooge of DMK.
16:23You're a stooge of DMK.
16:24Sir, one second.
16:25You're not a journalist.
16:26You're a stooge.
16:27You're a stooge.
16:29You're a stooge of DMK.
16:30You are a third-rated liar.
16:32You are a third-rated liar.
16:33Come on.
16:34You're a stooge.
16:35You're paid by DMK.
16:36You are a third-rated, congenital liar.
16:38You're living with the money that DMK throws on you.
16:40You are a third-rated, congenital liar.
16:42Okay, come on, come on.
16:43You are living with the money.
16:44Please let's maintain some civility in this debate.
16:47Okay, let's, gentlemen, gentlemen, let's take this down.
16:49Let's take this down.
16:50Let's maintain some civility in this debate, please.
16:52Mr. Sumanseeraman, I'm going to come to you.
16:54You waited patiently.
16:55Go ahead.
16:56Two quick points.
16:58Yeah.
17:00One, the TVK government needs to be congratulated for having resurrected this case and has launched
17:10a, what at least up to now appears to be a proper investigation.
17:15Having said that, now, I don't know why Mr. Harish is getting so, you know, excited about, you know, what
17:25has happened.
17:25Clearly, there has been a cover-up.
17:27The only issue is at what level the cover-up has been.
17:30That's the only question which remains to be found.
17:34But the point really is, there do not appear to have been any red lines during the previous government.
17:42And that is a matter of concern.
17:43Here is a case where children have been sexually assaulted.
17:48What can be more heinous than that?
17:51And somebody, whether it is at the police level or whether it is the political level, has clearly tried to
17:57cover it up.
17:58Now, I don't know, but today, for instance, the Communist parties have come out strongly.
18:03So now more and more political pressure is coming to sort of get to the bottom of what really happened.
18:11And why they said that when the present team was able to, in less than three to four weeks, recover
18:18the original footage, identify the victim,
18:21identify more victims and record their statement, why did an investigation that lasted five months not achieve any of these
18:30objectives?
18:31Unless they were trying not to find anything.
18:35No, you look at the closure report.
18:37The neighbors didn't mention any movement in the house.
18:40That's really the reason given.
18:41The guy who was Iron Man on the road.
18:42The Iron Man outside on the road.
18:44No, no, the criminal himself is dealing.
18:46The person who was working in the eye hospital, you know, 100 meters away, didn't see anything.
18:50I mean, just imagine that.
18:52Yeah, absolutely.
18:54It's a shocking indictment of the police.
18:57No, you know, what stands out for me is the closure report, how brazenly it was written and how they
19:02possibly thought that this will do.
19:04That with this, nothing is going to happen, that this case will be wrapped up.
19:07Which is why I come back to the point that if not for that special Pocsar court judge, S. Padma,
19:13if not for her,
19:15if not for her, we would never be talking about this story.
19:17I'm glad she stepped up.
19:19I'm glad she said, nothing doing, you're going to reopen this case.
19:22Thank you very much, Mr. Sumansi Raman, Mr. Felix Gerald and Harish Mohamed Ibrahim for joining me on this broadcast.
19:28We said this on India Today earlier.
19:29I will say it again, that this is a story we will continue to track and put the focus on
19:35as far as the investigation goes.
19:37The police may be investigating the police right now.
19:39That may not seem as the ideal situation, but we will put the spotlight on it and ensure it's headed
19:44in the right way.
19:45We will look for names of those involved in the cover-up as much as the crime.
Comments