Chennai: Tamil Nadu police provided gunman protection to IAS officer U.Sagayam following a directive by the Madras high court. The court ordered this in view of a threat perception to Sagayam who has been ordered to probe into illegal mining activities in the state.
The high court ordered the DGP, commissioner of police, Chennai, to immediately arrange a gunman within four days. “If Sagayam undertakes visits outside Chennai, the concerned CoP/SP must be intimated and requested to provide a gunman. In the event of a road journey, the gunman must accompany Sagayam until he is relieved,” the order stated. A senior city police officer said that the IAS officer was already given gunman protection.
The former Madurai district collector and vice-chairman of Science City was appointed as a special officer / legal commissioner by the court in September to conduct a probe into various types of mining irregularities and submit a report to the court within two months. Anticipating a threat from the powerful mining mafia during his probe, the court had then ordered gunman protection for the bureaucrat. However, the state government filed a review petition contesting the HC order. This was turned down by the high court on October 29. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on state government for not relieving Sagayam to probe the scam.
