As part of the ongoing probe into the illegal granite scam, the High Court-appointed Legal Commissioner, U. Sagayam, on Monday began his sixth phase of enquiry here. He conducted enquiry with two persons who had earlier lodged different complaints against illegal quarrying in Melur region.
The Editor of a Tamil daily, Dinaboomi, P. Manimaran, who was summoned by the one-member panel, deposed before him.
“I have already given all the evidences I had with me to the panel. Today, I was formally questioned in the issue,” Mr. Manimaran told reporters after the enquiry. Mr. Manimaran said that six cases were foisted against him after he raked up the illegal granite mining issue during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government.
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He said he had sent his detailed complaint about the issue to the Chief Minister’s Cell after AIADMK came to power.
Later, a farmer V.R. Thangaraj, said that he complained about certain technical illegalities in transfer of lease by one of the granite quarry operators to the name of another at Keezhavalavu. He also complained about the quarry operator destroying a huge hillock beyond the area permitted for quarrying.
“A temple which the local villagers had been worshipping for generations was destroyed, despite the Collector having had ordered to spare that particular portion,” he said.
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Officials from the Public Works Department and Department of Land Reforms too were grilled during the enquiry held in the afternoon.
Those summoned were asked to give details about the nature of complaints, action taken by officials, material evidence supporting their claims. They were also asked about whether they faced any intimidation or were attacked following their complaints.