Summary: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed a final report against Devanandh, who was accused of illegally transporting sand. The court found the charges did not hold up under the law.
On January 30, 2025, during a routine vehicle check in Madurai, a large truck was found carrying M-Sand without a permit. The truck was linked to a quarry owned by Devanandh, leading to charges under the laws governing mining and mineral transportation.
"The authorities stopped a large truck... carrying three loads of M-Sand without a permit to transport it."
Devanandh's lawyer, Mr. Sricharan Rangarajan, argued that Devanandh, who had a legal license for his quarry, wasn't responsible for the transportation. He claimed the charges of stealing were wrong since the sand came from a legal source.
"The petitioner cannot be accused of the offense... as the M-Sand was taken from the petitioner's licensed quarry."
Justice Sunder Mohan noted that stealing charges need proof that something was taken dishonestly without permission. Since the sand was from Devanandh's licensed quarry, the stealing charge didn't hold.
"Unless the police show that the minerals were taken without permission, the charge of stealing would not be valid."
The court referred to earlier decisions, including one from the Supreme Court, stating that breaking the mining laws and stealing under the Penal Code are different crimes. However, in this case, the stealing charge was not relevant.
"The details needed to prove the crime are different... the final report against the petitioner cannot be upheld."
On November 25, 2025, the court dismissed the final report against Devanandh, stating that the police had no authority to file it under the mining laws without a complaint from an authorized official.
"The challenged final report cannot be upheld and therefore, must be dismissed."
The court decided in favor of Devanandh, dismissing the charges due to lack of proper evidence and authority.
