Chennai: The Crime Branch-CID of the Tamil Nadu police, which is probing the illegal sand mining at Kallidaikuruchi in Tirunelveli district, has extended its probe to Kerala.
Bishop of the Malankara Catholic Church, Samuel Mar Irenious, and five Catholic priests were arrested on February 6, following the CB-CID investigation in illegal sand mining at the 300-acre property of the Kerala-based Church at Kallidaikuruchi.
On Saturday, the team arrested the former assistant director of the Tirunelveli mines and minerals department S. Safiya who incidentally hails from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She is presently serving as the assistant director of mines and minerals department in the Nilgiris district.
After questioning Safiya on the illegal sand mining at Kallidaikurichi at the 300-acre land owned by the Pathanamthitta Diocese of the Malankara Catholic Church, the sleuths took her into custody and later arrested her.
The Malankara Catholic Church and Bishop Irenious had feigned ignorance in the case and stated that they had given the said land on lease to one Manuvel George and that the church did not have any role in the activities of George who had mined illegal sand from the Tamaraibarani river in Kallidaikurichi which is the charge of the prosecution.
The then sub-collector of Cheeranmahadevi who inspected the site assessed that 27,773.66 cubic metres of sand has been quarried illegally and transported for sale. The sub-collector had also imposed a fine of Rs 9,57,21,578 against Manuvel George in September 2019 under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Mines and Minerals Concession Rules 1959.
With the property owners, Pathanamthitta Diocese of the Malankara Catholic Church, Manuvel George the person who took the 300 acres on lease, and the Assistant director of mines and minerals, Safiya being from Kerala, the CB-CID has expanded its probe into Kerala.
Sources in the department told IANS that the officers are on the money trail of the Assistant Director as well as on Manuvel George who is also jailed.
The probe will commence immediately as the Madurai bench of the Madras High court has directed the CB-CID to complete the investigation as early as possible and to give the charge sheet.
–IANS