Independent criminal in charge is regarded as worthy of veneration (6)
I believe the answer is:
iconic
'worthy of veneration' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'independent criminal in charge' is the wordplay.
'independent' becomes 'i'.
'criminal' becomes 'con' (short for convict).
'in charge' becomes 'ic' (abbreviation for 'in charge').
'i'+'con'+'ic'='ICONIC'
'is regarded as' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for iconic that I've seen before include "that's like an emoji?" , "(Of paintings/statues) in a fixed conventional style" , "Emblematic, representative" , "admired type" , "Representative or relating to a sacred image" .)