THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A restaurant owner in Thiruvananthapuram who repeatedly dumped waste in a public place was caught in a joint operation by local residents and the police — and was made to clear the entire pile himself.
The accused, identified as Shamli, who runs a restaurant near the Government High School, Varkala, had allegedly been dumping waste near the Ilakamon water tank for several days.
The stench from the waste pushed local residents to launch a search on their own. They examined CCTV footage from nearby houses and spotted a car arriving with sacks of waste. However, with the number plate masked, they could not immediately identify the culprit.
Their breakthrough came when they sifted through the garbage and recovered bills issued from Shamli’s restaurant. The residents then approached the Ayiroor police with the evidence. Confronted with the proof, Shamli admitted to the offence. The police and local residents made him clean up the entire heap of waste he had dumped. The panchayat later imposed a fine on him.