Granite company sealed in Madurai

The raid on the premises of P R P Granites Exports in Melur was conducted by a team of revenue and police officials led by District Collector Anshul Mishra, days after criminal cases were filed against its partners, police said.

After the nearly three-hour-long raid, authorities sealed the company for allegedly violating norms governing granite quarry operations, including encroachment of government land, they said.

Police have earlier this week registered cases against P R Palanichamy, his two sons P Senthil Kumar and P Suresh Kumar and son-in-law A Maharajan, partners of the company, for alleged offences under IPC including criminal trespass, causing disappearance of evidences of offence, besides under the provisions of Mines and Minerals Act 1957 among others.

Five special police teams have been formed to arrest the four, who have moved the Madras High Court bench here seeking anticipatory bail.

Authorities have launched a crackdown on illegal granite quarrying in the district after former District Collector U Sagayam's report pegging the loss to the state exchequer due to it at Rs 16,338 crore was made public recently through an RTI query.

Cases were also registered against Union Minister M K Alaigiri's son Durai Dayanidhi, a partner in another granite firm, and around 40 employees of various companies arrested in the past few days as part of the drive against illegal quarrying.

Tension prevailed in front of the PRP Granites premises as about 1,000 company employees were sent out before the start of the raid.

A section of the employees allegedly attempted to attack media persons covering the raid, police said.