The Madras High Court Thursday appointed IAS officer U.Sagayam to probe the multi-crore illegal granite quarrying in Tamil Nadu.
As a district collector at Madurai, Sagayam had made a detailed report about illegal quarrying and submitted his report to the government, estimating the loss of revenue to the state at Rs.16,000 crore.
Later he was transferred here. Recently in a matter of 48 hours, he was transferred twice.
Hearing a case filed by a social activist, the court ordered Sagayam to be the special officer to probe the granite mining contracts given to companies.
The court said Sagayam would visit and inspect the mines and submit a report and also ordered the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to start proceedings against the illegal mine owners.
The ED on its part told the court that a case has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Olympus Granites in which Durai Dayanidhi, son of former union minister M.K.Alagiri, was a director.
The ED has also lodged a case against PRP Exports.
