The rise and fall of Madurai's Granite Mafia

Until two weeks ago, they were a privileged class in Tamil Nadu. For nearly two decades, the granite barons of Melur taluk in Madurai have wielded immense clout in the state and boasted of money, mafia and political power. With both the DMK and the AIADMK extending their patronage to the industry, successive governments showered them with all they wanted. But the recent arrests in Melur following the former Madurai district collector’s letter to the chief minister on the scale of illegal mining...

Read Full Story>>