Mining: Police submits copies of FIR, charge sheets to Sagayam

Police today submitted copies of FIRs and charge sheets filed against quarry contractors and company owners to senior IAS officer U Sagayam, selected by Madras High Court to inquire into illegal mining of granite in the district.
A team, led by Additional District Superintendent of Police Mariappan, handed over the copies, running to about 13,000 pages, to Sagayam.
Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari had earlier met Sagayam and briefed him about the nature of cases filed against the quarry contractors and company owners.
The voluminous documents were carried in sealed boxes and submitted to Sagayam, police said.
Joint director of Public Health Senthil also filed a report to Sagayam on the unhygienic atmosphere created by the quarry pits which had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other environment impact due to quarry waste.

The reports would be added to the final report to be submitted by Sagayam to the High Court after the inquiry.
Police have so far registered 79 cases against granite firms which allegedly ruined farming activities by destroying water bodies and forcing people to sell their lands.
Sagayam, as the then Madurai District Collector, had in 2011 estimated the loss to the state exchequer due to illegal granite mining at around Rs 16,000 crore.