Supreme court allows SIT to continue probe into illegal quarrying

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Karnataka Lokayukta’s Special Investigation Team to continue its probe against some private persons, state officials and companies for illegal quarrying of granite in Koppal and Bagalkot districts, causing huge loss to the exchequer.

A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit stayed the Karnataka High Court judgement of March 28, that had quashed the investigations against eight persons, launched by the SIT in 2014.

The state government, represented by advocate Joseph Aristotle, contended the accused persons did not obtain the licence but continued to conduct illegal quarrying.

It sought stay of the high court’s order, contending the pattadars of the lands in which the mineral is available will go on excavating without converting the land into non-agricultural purpose and without obtaining environmental clearance and working permission, thereby creating environmental hazards.

The working permission was required for quarrying under the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules.

On the state government’s petition challenging the high court’s order, the court issued notice to Linganagouda, Venkateshbabu, Premchand Jain, Mallikarjuna and Shekarappa, who were being investigated by the SIT after registering the cases against them in 2014 for illegal quarrying in Koppal.

The court also sought response from Sharanappa, Sangappa and Bhadrappa, who were similarly being probed for the offence of granite extraction in Bagalkot district in 2014.