Mining case: HC rejects anticipatory bail pleas of 6 accused

The Madras High Court bench here today rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of six persons, including two partners of Iswariya Rock Exports Company, charged with illegal granite mining and causing revenue loss to the tune of Rs 141.64 crore to the exchequer.
Justice P N Prakash, in his order, said their involvement in illegal mining could not be dismissed as insignificant.
The judge said after senior IAS officer U Sagayam was appointed by the Madras High Court to probe alleged illegal granite mining in the district, the crime branch police had registered FIR under various sections of IPC and the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, Explosives Substance Act and the Mines and Minerals Act against various persons.

Iswariya Rock Exports Company had been given land for mining for 20 years. But they had illegally conducted mining of multi-coloured granite stones to the tune of 70819.44 cubic metres. The Special Tahsildhar gave a complaint on January 13 and this case had been registered on that basis.
"The quantum of illegal mining is indeed gargantuan", the judge said, adding even a pond has vanished.
"India had a hoary history of loot and plunder of assets. The prosperity of the country was an eyesore to the invaders earlier. Paradoxically, despite looting, India had survived. The indifference to looting continued even today," the judge observed.

"Like monkey dolls, of course for wrong reasons, the political dispensation and bureaucracy had closed its eyes, ears and even mouth. Accentuated by greed, the petitioners had mined into water bodies and government lands using high voltage explosives and transporting them in huge trucks in broad day light," he said.
In some cases, even court stay had given protective umbrella for illegal quarrying, the judge said rejecting the anticipatory bail pleas.