Rs 52 cr assets of two granite firms attached

The ED had been investigating cases of Om Sri Granites and Pallava Granite Industries and their partners under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after five FIRs were registered by the Madurai district police. 

An ED release said that the FIRs were filed by the police for the alleged offences of illegal quarrying of multi-coloured granites at Melur, Keelavalavu, Rasipuram and other places in and around Madurai district by the accused, with a common object to trespass into the nearby areas of government’s rocky poramboke land, water bodies, water channel and carried out mining works by using deadly explosive substances to misappropriate the multi-coloured granite blocks in an illegal manner during the period between 2001 to 2012. 

Investigations had so far revealed that during and after the crime period the accused persons had acquired a huge number of immovable properties in their own names as well as their family members, out of proceeds of crime derived by them. 

Thus, the proceeds of crime were integrated into the legal financial system and were projected as money acquired through legitimate sources as Agricultural and other income.  

During the investigations under the provisions of PMLA, the ED identified about 284 such immovable properties totally valued at about Rs 52 crore. As these immovable properties are involved in money laundering, they have been attached.