Madurai HC set asides the acquittal order of Granite king PR Palanisami

PR Palanisami, who was the main accused of the infamous Granite scam that happened in TamilNadu a few years ago, was earlier acquitted by the trial court, Melur. Following which the prosecution filed appeal against the acquittal order, in Madurai bench of Madras High Court.

After the hearing, the High Court order to set aside the acquittal of Granite king PR Palanisami.

Years earlier,  the controversial granite quarry scam came to light after the then Madurai Collector, U Sagayam, who was appointed as Legal Commissioner by the Madras High Court, launched a probe which lasted for about nine months to look into the multi-crore granite scam. In his report after the probe in 2012, Sagayam claimed that the illegal granite mining had caused loss of over Rs 16,000 crore to the government exchequer, sources said. The granite mining mogul, PR Palanisami, had been held as the main suspect in two deaths that took place over 10 years ago. Upon enquiries, his former driver also alleged that the millionaire ordered "a human sacrifice" and that he saw two bodies being mysteriously disposed of.

P. R. Palanisami, owner of PRP Exports and a billionaire with political connections, was later arrested and his company was sealed. Durai Dayanidhi, son of former Union Minister of Chemicals, M. K. Azhagiri, was also alleged as co-accused of illegal quarrying.

While, Durai Dayanidhi and others who were charge-sheeted, were granted anticipatory bail, PRP and his sone Senthil Kumar was arrested but was later acquitted by the then Melur JM KV Mahendra Boopathy from the illegal granite case despite the Investigating Officer telling the court the cases should be committed to the sessions court as they had filed 98 cases under various sections of the IPC and TN Public property Damages Act and Explosives Act.

But Boopathy, without committing the cases to the district court as per the High Court orders, had taken cognisance of only one section of the IPC (Theft) and acquitted the accused, for which he later faced suspension by the Madras High Court, for reportedly disobeying its orders.

The JM had also observed then that two former District Collectors of Madurai, Anshul Mishra and L.Subramanian, had filed 180 cases against various persons relating to illegal mining of granite in Madurai district and hoarding them in private lands.

The appeal of the above acquittal order was filed in Madurai bench of Madras High Court, by the TamilNadu Government.

After the hearing the pleas filed by the District Collector, the Court ordered to cancel the acquittal order of infamous Granite King.