The Tamil Nadu DVAC has been granted permission to prosecute a government official in an illegal sand mining case.

On February 18, the Tamil Nadu government’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) informed the Madras High Court that it had obtained permission from the Additional Chief Secretary, Industries department, to file a case against an official who served as Assistant Director in the Geology and Mining department in an illegal mining case.

Justice G Chandrasekaran closed a criminal original petition from Gnanarajan of Upparpatti village in Theni district, who prayed for a direction to the DVAC to register a case based on his complaint dated July 15, 2021 and proceed against the accused.

Gnanarajan claimed in his petition that officials looted government properties worth Rs 500 crore.

Former deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and his associates, he claimed, engaged in illegal gravel sand mining. They had also converted government land into their personal property by changing the patta and creating false documents by misusing and abusing their official power, according to the petitioner.

He had filed a complaint with the DVAC in this regard. He filed the current petition for a direction to the DVAC to register a FIR and proceed further because there had been no progress.

When the matter came up on several occasions, the judge was informed that prior approval had been obtained for registering cases against all of the accused, with the exception of the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining.

Last month, Justice V Bharathidasan directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department, to consider the petition, which was granted on February 2.