AD Mines arrested in Nellai sand mining case involving Kerala priests

MADURAI: The Crime Branch CID arrested one more person on Saturday night in connection with the illegal sand mining case reported in Tirunelveli. The one arrested is a government servant employed in the Department of Mines and Geology. Safiya (38), Assistant Director of Mines was arrested on charges of aiding illegal acts of sand mining. Earlier, Safiya was in the Mines Department in Tirunelveli when such illegal acts occurred and prior to her arrest, she was employed in Udhagamandalam, sources said. The case concerning such illegal acts on the riverbanks of Tamirabarani at Pottal village in Cheranmahadevi block has been brewing since 2020. With the arrest of this government employee, 32 persons have so far been arrested in this case. Among those facing charges include six clergies of the Syro Malankara diocese of Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, sources said.