Hidden silver beneath an abandoned factory? Why 6 people were arrested for stealing tonnes of soil

The Nilgiris District Police arrested six people, including the branch secretary of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) from Ward 2 in Udhagamandalam, after they allegedly trespassed into the defunct Hindustan Photo Films (HPF) factory premises and transported more than three tonnes of soil believed to contain silver nitrate traces. 

Police said they detained three men—identified as Suresh, Pradeen, and Nithish Kumar—after finding them loitering near the HPF site on the Ooty–Gudalur Road. During the search, officers seized over 40 sacks filled with soil and the goods vehicle allegedly used to move the material. The seized material weighed around three tonnes, police added.

Further arrests followed the interrogation of the initial three suspects, leading to the detention of Ravi (alias Sudhakar), Hariharan, and Nandakumar. A case has been registered, and investigations remain ongoing. One of the arrested, Suresh, was identified as the TVK branch secretary for Ward 2 in Udhagamandalam.

Historical context of HPF site

The HPF factory at Indu Nagar was established in 1960 during Chief Minister K. Kamaraj’s tenure and operated on 320 acres leased from the Forest Department. Equipped with extensive infrastructure, it once became one of South Asia’s most prominent photographic film manufacturers; the plant produced black-and-white and X-ray films that were exported internationally and employed thousands of workers. 

The factory gradually declined after the economic liberalization of the 1990s, competition from private and foreign firms, and technological shifts, finally halting operations in 2018. 

Motivation and environmental concerns

Police and forest department informal teams contracted to scrap the factory had circulated information locally that soil at certain storage sites might contain trace amounts of precious metals—primarily silver and possibly gold—deposited in sludge during the plant’s operational years. Authorities believe this tip-off motivated residents and scavengers to remove soil from restricted areas.  

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Official response and next steps

Nilgiris police confirmed multiple arrests and the seizure of soil and the transport vehicle and said forensic tests will determine the composition of the seized soil. The Forest Department and local authorities are cooperating in the investigation, and police warned against further violation or illegal removal of material from the factory premises.