MADURAI: Madurai rural police has continued its crackdown on PRP Granites and seized eight equipment used for polishing and cutting granite blocks in Therku Theru in Melur here the other day.
Police sources said the worth of the equipment – four cutting and four polishing, has been assessed at Rs 8 crore. PRP Granites had imported the equipment from Italy, allegedly using the money got from illegal quarrying.
The seizure was made after an investigation with the manager of PRP Granites, Shanmuganathan. During the investigation it was revealed that using the crores of money raised through illegal granite quarrying, the equipment was imported from Italy. Following the confession, the rural police seized the equipment. The documents of the equipment will be produced before the Melur court on Friday.
Meanwhile, an inspection led by Senthil Kumari, revenue divisional officer, Madurai along with police officers and officials from mines and geology departments was conducted on Thursday morning. Officials said the inspection was conducted after the district administration received information that the polishing unit is all set to function. The district administration has been receiving a large number of complaints against PRP Granites stating that the company was allegedly selling the granite blocks illegally even after they were seized.
Apart from revenue and police team, three teams of bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and dog squad were also swung into action. The inspection lasted for more than hour, during which the officials conducted their search. There are a large number of granite blocks seized by the officials. An enumeration to verify the number of granite blocks was carried out to check whether the blocks have been sold.
Initially, when the team entered the polishing unit, the officials were stopped by the advocates for PRP Granites. However, after explaining the procedural visit they were allowed to continue with the inspection.
John Rose, additional superintendent of police, Arumuga Nainar, assistant director of mines, a couple of additional deputy superintendent of police from Melur and Usilampatti ranges and a group of police inspectors various circles were also part of the inspection team.
The inspection came in the backdrop of high court-appointed legal commissioner to investigate the multi-crore illegal granite quarrying U Sagayam starting his fourth phase of his investigation on Thursday. Sagayam, who is the vice-chairman of Science City, Chennai frequents Madurai to carry out the investigations in the illegal granite quarrying scam.
