CHENNAI: The Madras High Court adjourned by four weeks a plea by DMK Treasurer TR Baalu seeking directions to the SIT to summon TVK leaders and collect evidence allegedly in their possession in the R Veeramani POCSO case. The court said the SIT should be allowed to investigate without interference.

DMK Treasurer and MP TR Baalu has moved the Madras High Court seeking directions to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the ongoing POCSO case against industrialist R Veeramani to summon and enquire into TVK leaders C. Joseph Vijay, Aadhav Arjuna and CTR Nirmal Kumar and collect the material evidence allegedly in their possession.

The petition stated that the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police constituted the SIT on September 25. The next day, the TVK leaders made public statements alleging the involvement of the DMK and claimed that they possessed material evidence in this regard.

Baalu contended that those who made such claims publicly had a duty to appear before the SIT and produce the evidence to facilitate an effective investigation. However, they had not submitted any material evidence to the SIT so far, he said.

He further submitted that, considering the minor victims involved in the POCSO case, preservation of evidence and the integrity of the investigation were of particular importance. In a representation submitted to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on September 27, he had requested that the persons concerned be summoned and enquired into and that relevant materials in their possession be secured.

When the matter came up for hearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, Senior Counsel J. Ravindran argued that the party wanted those responsible, however high their position, to be held accountable. He said that if the CM or Ministers had any material suggesting a cover-up, it should be submitted to the SIT.

Ravindran said the allegation that the party protected child abusers was serious and should not be made for political purposes. “This is not a matter to play politics. This has to be looked into. It’s a matter of humanity,” he said.

The court said the SIT should be allowed to work without interference and adjourned the hearing by four weeks to enable it to proceed with the investigation.

Meanwhile, in a plea by Tulir NGO seeking to prevent media houses and others from publishing Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM), the court directed the parties to file their counters and posted the hearing to October 6. The court said such material should be taken down and told the NGO that it could seek legal action if anyone continued to publish or broadcast it.