Sagayam panel likely to wind up granite probe

The Madras High Court (MHC) on Wednesday directed the commission to hand over the annexures pertaining to the probe report in a sealed box to the Registrar by July 31. The commission has also been directed to hand over the gadgets and furniture bought by it to the Government. 

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar before whom a petition filed by a retired tahsildar working under the Commissioner claiming salary for eight months came up, said, “The main writ petitions are listed for hearing on July 31, 2017.” 

The bench also recorded Advocate General R. Muthukumaraswany’s submission that the retired tahsildar would be paid Rs 20,000 per month from December 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017 and that the actual expenses incurred by the Commission for the period between December 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017 would also be cleared, subject to submission of accounts supported by the requisite bills and vouchers. 

Sagayam had on November 23, 2015 submitted a 600-page report citing a loss of 1.11 lakh crore owing to illegal mining. The court was also informed about the rampant human sacrifices that prevailed during the mining menace. The annexures lying with the Commission are said to be as much as 2,500 pages. For now, the decision pending with the MHC is about handing over the report for probe by either the State police or the CBI. 

The MHC had appointed the one-man commission on September 11, 2014, based on a PIL petition moved by social activist Traffic K R Ramaswamy alleging that the state had incurred heavy loss due to irregularities in the allotment of mining lease and illegal mining of granite in Madurai District. 

Coming to the rescue of dog owners, breeders and traders, the Madras High Court on Wednesday granted an interim stay on the operation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog breeding and marketing) Rules, 2017, notified on May 23 to regulate dog breeders.

The interim stay restrains officials from seizing or neutering dogs kept and bred by dog owners and kennel operators. Passing orders on a PIL filed by Kennel Club of India, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar said, “For a period of two weeks from the date or until further orders, whichever is earlier, there will be an order of interim injunction restraining the respondent-authorities from taking away any domestic dog or pup temporarily kept by its owner, in a kennel operated by a dog breeding kennel operator.” 

The bench on noting that since vires of Central rule is under challenge, ordered notice to the additional solicitor-general of India and posted the case for further hearing to July 24. On May 23, the Centre had issued a notification bringing to force the rules and defined the word ‘breeder’ as an individual or a group of persons who own dogs of specific breeds for breeding and sale of dogs and pups includes boarding kennel operator, intermediate handler and traders. But, these totally different occupations have been inaccurately and incorrectly clubbed together under the word breeder in the impugned rules, which is totally absurd preposterous arbitrary and unreasonable, the plea said.