Granite mining probe: Official moves HC for protection from death threats

Sagayam's counsel also sought a thorough probe into the 'suspicious' death in a road mishap in 2015

Legal Commissioner U Sagayam, probing illegal granite mining activities in Madurai district, on Tuesday moved the Madras High Court seeking protection saying he and one of his team members were receiving death threats from unknown persons.

Appointed by the high court in September 2014, Sagayam submitted that he and Sevar Kodiyon had received death threats from unknown people continuously during the course of the probe.

Sagayam's counsel Radhakrishnan also sought a thorough probe into the 'suspicious' death in a road mishap in 2015 of Parthasarathi, who had helped the committee during surveying activities.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, after allowing time till August 31 for the submission of reports to the court, adjourned the matter with regard to the plea seeking police protection, to September 15.

The bench had on July 19 directed Sagayam to hand over the annexure to the November 23, 2015, report filed by the commission and April 1, 2016, errata to the Registrar General of the high court.