'Deceased geologist submitted illegal quarrying report indicting MLA'

Bengaluru: Prathima KS, the senior geologist in the Department of Mines and Geology who was found murdered at her home on Sunday, is said to have prepared the report on illegal quarrying in Hunasamaranahalli, where an FIR was filed against an MLA and others. 

Prathima (45) was found dead at her home in Doddakallasandra in southern Bengaluru. 

Prathima had conducted a physical inspection of the quarrying site and submitted a report to the government. 

According to sources, the report had quoted a loss of Rs 25.35 lakh. 

In July, a case was registered against the BJP MLA, one Anand, V Ganesh and Radhamma at the Chikkajala police station for alleged illegal quarrying in survey numbers 177/3, 178/1–2–3, 179 at Hunasamaranahalli, and 34/1–2–3 and 17/7–8–9 at Sonnappanahalli. 

Following Prathima's death, purported copies of the report surfaced online. A citizen is learnt to have obtained a copy of the report through the RTI.  

"Illegal quarrying has been done without permission in four acres and five guntas of land; 51,460 metric tonnes of earth has been excavated in four areas. There is a stockpile of 5,000 metric tonnes of building stone at the site; 25,876 metric tonnes of building stone were transported elsewhere. Due to this, the government has faced a loss of Rs 25.35 lakh,” the report stated.