MADURAI: Bishop and five priests from Kerala were arrested by the Brime Tamil Nadu (CB-CID) branch on February 5 in Tirunelveli in connection with illegal sand mining cases.
Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and Imam George Samuel, Shaji Thomas, Jijo James, Jose Chamakala and Jose Kalaviylar on Syro-Malankara’s diocese of Pathanamthitta had been arrested and returned in trial detention in Tirunelveli.
The arrest was made in connection with illegal sand excavation facilitated by several officials from income, mining, police department and agriculture in the Tirunelveli district.
During hearing by Madurai Bench High Court in July 2021, which ordered the case to be transferred to CB-CID, the division bench from Judge N Kirubakan and B Pugalendhi observed that Manufar George, who did not have land or mine in the state obtained by permission from the authorities To save the page to store minerals in Therku Kallidaikurichi Village.
He has obtained a license for it on a plot of 300 hectares adjacent to the Dam check in Pottal in the village from 29 November 2019 to 28 November 2024.
However, by exploiting the license, he was involved in the river sand excavation from the adjacent Dam and Patta Land.
The judge also observed that a criminal case was registered against George and 22 others.
The relevant rental land, where illegal sand mining is being carried out, reportedly owned by Pathanamthitta’s diocese, which has given it lease George.
Therefore the arrests have been made because they are suspected of bishops and priests aware of illegal activities.