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U. Sagayam, a former Legal Commissioner and Special Officer of the Madras High Court who exposed the massive granite scam in Tamil Nadu in 2014, has declined to appear in person before the Special Court for Mines and Minerals in Madurai to provide evidence against those accused of illegal granite mining. He claims that his life is in danger following the State government’s withdrawal of his security detail.
In a letter to the Special Public Prosecutor—a digital copy of which is available with Frontline—he stated that the Special Court had summoned him to appear on March 26, 2025. He responded by saying that he was “unable to travel to Madurai and provide evidence in the said court due to security concerns”.
He described the withdrawal of his security as “clearly biased, flawed, and unfair.” The decision makers, he said, had failed to consider the connections and track records of stakeholders in the granite mining industry, or to assess the nature of the crimes committed and the scale of irregularities he had exposed. Sagayam, therefore, requested the Special Public Prosecutor to inform the court about his “inability” to comply with its summons, citing “a clear threat to his life”.
Also Read | Crushed by the cartel: The cost of blowing the whistle in Tamil Nadu’s mining badlands
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