KARUR: The District Principal Sessions Court in Karur on Monday awarded double life imprisonment to three persons, including the owner of a stone quarry, in connection with the murder of an activist who campaigned against illegal stone mining.
The court convicted S Selvakumar (43), owner of the quarry and a native of Andankoil in Karur; K Sakthivel (28), a truck driver employed at the quarry and a native of Omalur in Salem; and P Ranjithkumar (50), a labourer at the quarry and a native of Ranipettai, for the murder of R Jeganathan (49), a farmer and activist from Kalipalayam in Karur district.
The judge sentenced the three convicts to double life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each, the prosecution said.
Selvakumar owned a stone quarry in Kalipalayam village in Pugalur taluk. Jeganathan cultivated in seven acres of land in the village. Since the quarry was located near his farmland, he had been opposing its operations, alleging that it had been functioning without a licence for several years and was adversely affecting agricultural activities in the area, the prosecution said.
Acting on his complaint, officials of the Department of Geology and Mining shut down the quarry on September 9, 2022. The very next day, while Jeganathan was travelling on a two-wheeler from Kuppam to Karudaiyampalayam, a truck coming from the opposite direction rammed into his vehicle and ran over him, killing him on the spot. Sakthivel was driving the truck and was accompanied by Ranjithkumar, the prosecution added.
Based on a complaint, the K Paramathi police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and arrested the three accused.
It may be recalled that Jeganathan had been attacked by Selvakumar in 2019 for attempting to shut down the quarry, which was allegedly operating illegally. He sustained grievous injuries in the assault.
R S Mugilan, an environmental activist from Karur, said more than 50 such murders had taken place in Tamil Nadu over the years.
“Despite Jeganathan losing his life in the fight to protect the country’s natural resources, no government has so far condoled his death or extended assistance to his family. A village administrative officer and a police officer who were killed by the sand mafia were given compensation of `1 crore each. The state government should similarly provide financial assistance and a government job to one of Jeganathan’s sons,” he appealed.
