Charge sheet filed against Karunanidhi's grandson in illegal mining case

MADURAI: Police today filed a charge sheet in a court against Durai Dayanithi, grandson of DMK supremo and former chief minister M Karunanidhi, and 14 others in a case relating to illegal granite mining in the district.

Police have charged the accused with illegally mining granite worth Rs 257 crore and causing loss to the government.

Police said the charge sheet runs into 5,191 pages, adding the trial would commence soon.

Dayanithi, who is son of former Union Minister M K Alagiri, and others were booked under IPC sections 120(B) (conspiracy), 447 (criminal trespass) and 420 (cheating) for allegedly quarrying illegally on government land.

Among the 14 persons were owners of various granite firms that included Olympus Granites in which Dayanithi and Nagarajan were partners.

The cases were registered based on a complaint from the Keezhavalavu Village Administratrive Officer(VAO).

The VAO accused Dayanithi and Nagarajan besides others of encroaching on government land adjacent to the permitted quarrying area and causing revenue loss.

The matter came to light when former Madurai district collector U Sagayam held an inquiry and submitted a report to the government, estimating losses caused to the exchequer by illegal granite mining at Rs 16,000 crore for several years.