Six individuals, including a local political secretary, have been arrested for illegally extracting over three tonnes of soil believed to contain precious metals from the closed Hindustan Photo Films factory.
Key Takeaways
- Six individuals arrested for trespassing and stealing silver-laced soil from the defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) plant in Nilgiris.
- The stolen soil, weighing over three tonnes, is believed to contain trace amounts of silver nitrate and gold.
- One of the accused, Suresh, has been identified as the TVK branch secretary for Ward 2 in Udhagamandalam.
- The theft is linked to information allegedly leaked by scrap workers regarding precious metal deposits in the factory sludge.
The Nilgiris district police have successfully apprehended six individuals involved in a massive theft operation at the defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) manufacturing unit. The accused were caught illegally transporting more than three tonnes of soil, which is believed to be laced with silver nitrate and other precious metal traces accumulated during the factory's operational years.
The Investigation and Arrests
The crackdown began when police intercepted three suspects—Suresh, Pradeen, and Nithish Kumar—loitering near the facility. Upon further interrogation, the police expanded their investigation, leading to the arrest of three more individuals: Ravi (alias Sudhakar), Hariharan, and Nandakumar. A significant development in the case is the involvement of Suresh, who serves as the branch secretary of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for Ward 2 in Udhagamandalam.
The Source of the Loot
Experts and forest department officials suggest that the sludge produced during the film manufacturing process contained trace amounts of gold and silver. Over decades, these elements settled into the soil in specific areas of the factory premises. It is suspected that workers commissioned to scrap the factory parts leaked this information to local residents, sparking a wave of illegal mining activities targeting the soil within the 320-acre site.
A Legacy in Decline
The Hindustan Photo Films plant, located in Indu Nagar along the Ooty-Gudalur Road, was a cornerstone of South Asian photographic technology. Established in 1960 during the era of Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, the factory was a massive industrial complex that exported high-quality black-and-white and X-ray films globally. However, the shift toward digital technology and economic liberalization in the 1990s led to a sharp decline in demand, eventually forcing the historic plant to cease all operations in 2018.
