Madras High Court refuses to adjourn case against VV Minerals over 'illegal' beach mineral mining

CHENNAI: Rejecting a plea to adjourn a case over extracting an excess quantity of rare earth minerals than what was approved, the Madras High Court ordered VV Minerals to file written submissions before the court.

A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman directed all the parties, including the State, to file the case papers and written submissions with the facts and date of the incidents on Tuesday.

The bench observed final arguments would commence on December 17 and directed all the counsels to be prepared with the case files.

On Thursday, when the bench took up a batch of petitions related to allegations of illegalities in mining beach sand minerals filed against various private mining companies for hearing, senior counsel V Raghavachari sought an adjournment. He requested the bench to post the matter after the Pongal holidays.

However, the bench refused to drag the case any further as the batch of cases has been pending since 2013 and fixed the deadline for final submissions to dispose of the batch.

As the bench refused to entertain the senior counsel's request several times, he stepped towards the exit gate of the court hall, even though the hearing was going. Justice SM Subramaniam stopped the senior counsel and wondered where he was going while the court was hearing his case.

Raghavachari tendered an apology and said that he had a case in another court hall, hence hurrying to the respective court.

After his explanation, the judge said in a lighter vein that he would ask the security guard to arrest him and make him stand in the corner of the court hall till the rising of the bench, which made the hall erupt into laughter.

After his explanation, the judge said in a lighter vein that he would ask the security guard to arrest him and make him stand in the corner of the court hall till the rising of the bench, which made the hall erupt into laughter.