Investigating officers ask bankers to freeze accounts of granite companies

Land reserved by the government for future use had been allegedly encroached upon by the granite company

August 11, 2012 11:46 am | Updated November 16, 2021 11:15 pm IST - MADURAI:

A quarry in Keelavalavu near Melur in Madurai district where granite stones were mined by the operators. Photo: G.Moorthy

A quarry in Keelavalavu near Melur in Madurai district where granite stones were mined by the operators. Photo: G.Moorthy

After sealing PRP Granite Company near here on Thursday, authorities on Friday took steps to issue look out circular (LOC) notices through appropriate Central agencies against some of the granite company owners/partners/directors and representatives.

According to highly placed sources, the police have requested Immigration Department officials to issue the circulars at all airports against some of the prominent granite company owners/partners/directors, including P. R. Palanichamy, who are at large.

Apart from this, bankers have been given letters by investigating officers to freeze the accounts of granite companies that are being examined.

“As part of the investigation, we have to carry out physical verification of the transactions. Hence, we have requested the banks to freeze the accounts until further orders,” an investigation officer said.

A senior officer said that after criminal cases were registered against the granite firms, the police had issued summons to partners/representatives for inquiry by the officers concerned. “But, as there was no response, we have taken steps to issue the LOC.” District Collector Anshul Mishra told The Hindu that the officials, who were assigned with different tasks of conducting inspection in PRP Granites since Thursday, unravelled many instances of violations and encroachments.

Channels destroyed

The PWD channels inside the factory had been destroyed. Land reserved by the government for future use, categorised as prohibitory order passbook (POP) land, had been allegedly encroached upon by the granite company.

The district administration had so far completed inspection of 133 granite quarries out of the 175 quarries in which 18 teams were on the job, he added.

In Chennai, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa held a meeting with senior Ministers and officials on the issue of granite quarries.

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