Madras High Court suspended Melur judicial magistrate KV Mahendra Boopathy on Friday for recently favouring granite firms and recommending action against Madurai Collector.

Court sources confirmed that Mahendra Boopathy has been suspended and Bharatiraja has been appointed as the new Melur judicial magistrate.

This decision came after a team of two judges conducted an inquiry against him.

The Court’s decision comes after Justice PN Prakash criticized Mahendra Boopathy last month for not following court orders in certain granite mining cases in Madurai district. The judge had also suggested that contempt proceedings be initiated against Boopathy, according to Times of India.

On Tuesday Boopathy had ordered criminal investigation and prosecution against former Madurai district collector Anshul Mishra and two special government pleaders for "cheating the court by presenting false documents."

Mahendra Boopathy also acquitted two persons, including granite baron PR Palanisamy, who were accused of illegally mining granite, transporting it and hoarding it in their private land.

Anshul Mishra had filed cases against PR Palanisamy and former Tirupattur DMK MLA Sivaraman's brother Sahadevan in 2013 for allegedly hoarding the illegally mined granite blocks in private lands in Melur and Keezhavalavu.