Granite mining scam records inspected; Magistrate grilled

Two judicial officers today inspected documents relating to 98 illegal granite mining cases in nearby Melur court, pending before Judicial Magistrate K V Mahendra Boopathi.
Madurai Principal District Sessions Judge Basheer Ahamed and Chief Judicial Magistrate of Madurai Saravanan also enquired with the Judicial Magistrate, against whom the Madras High Court Madurai bench Judge Justice P N Prakash had on March 24 recommended contempt proceedings and disciplinary action.
The recommendation was made for disobeying the orders of the high court in the granite scam cases.
The report of the two-hour investigation by the two judicial officers held in connection with the recommendation would be sent to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, court officials said.

The judge issued the directive when the Special Public Prosecutor informed the court that the JM was not obeying its earlier order to take cognisance of all offences committed by the granite barons and committing cases to the sessions court.
A total of 98 cases had been registered against quarry operators under various sections of IPC, Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, Explosives Substances Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Justice Prakash had directed the court Registry to send a copy of his order to the High Court Chief Justice to initiate contempt proceedings or disciplinary proceedings or both.

The act of the JM in taking cognizance of only a theft offence under IPC in all the cases would mean, as the Public Prosecutor had contended that "the accused will escape with a flea-bite sentence (for theft)," the judge had said. When magistrate Mahendraboopathy was directed to file a report, he had said averments in the charge sheet did not state the accused had the intention of causing loss, and hence he refused to take cognisance of major offences disclosed in the report.