MADURAI: Finding various irregularities in the department of geology and mining in Dindigul, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to conduct an investigation by a DSP-rank officer, and complete it in six months.
Justice B Pugalendhi gave the direction recently while hearing a petition filed by T Dinesh Kumar who sought police protection alleging life threat from a former assistant geologist of the department and a quarry operator.
Dinesh Kumar stated that he worked in the department on consolidated pay from 2018 to 2020 and was later unofficially engaged by the officials at a consolidated salary of Rs 10,000 per month. The officials used him to collect bribe from quarry operators, he added.
Further, Kumar alleged that an official, assistant geologist Mariammal, who also worked as an assistant director (in-charge) in Dindigul between 2022 and 2023, forged challans and forwarded them to his WhatsApp, which he delivered to quarry owners who would in turn pay him money both in cash and online. He would hand over the money to Mariammal, and she would paid him Rs 500 -Rs 1,000, he added.
However, one of the quarry operators demanded him to return the money and issued life threats to him, Kumar claimed, adding that similar threats were issued by Mariammal as well. Citing inaction on his complaint seeking police protection, he moved the court.
While Mariammal claimed that she did not employ Kumar, the quarry operator said he lacked computer knowledge and paid seigniorage fee and green fund amount through Kumar, who had embezzled it by issuing forged challans. He realized the fraud only after receiving a memo from the assistant director’s officer citing non-payment of the said fee, the quarry operator said.
Taking note of a preliminary police inquiry on Kumar’s complaint, the judge criticised the failure of the mining authorities in lodging a criminal complaint and delay of the vigilance authorities in concluding their probe in a similar case in which Kumar is a suspect.
