VELLORE: Two individuals were arrested on Sunday for sand smuggling, a police search is on for one more person. An FIR was filed on Friday against seven others, under multiple sections, for threatening Manavalan, a special branch SI in Melpatti police station near Gudiyatham on Friday.
Police said, upon information regarding the sand smuggling operation from the Palar riverbed, Manavalan rushed to the spot near Chinna Thottalam at around 6.45 pm on Friday. He spotted men pushing two carts filled with fresh sand from the riverbed, promptly stopped them, and attempted to escort them to the police station.
En route, Rajasekar, Kondasamuthiram panchayat secretary and owner of the carts used by the smugglers, met up with the trio and threatened Manavalan. During the argument, the two cart pushers managed to escape.
Giving them chase, the SI followed the two men back into Chinna Thottalam, where he was surrounded by the villagers who asked him to go back or face dire consequences. Upon information, Gudiyatham DSP also arrived on the scene along with a team of police officials and demanded the villagers surrender the accused. In response, the villagers claimed they had brought in sand for the construction of a temple in the locale.
Subsequently, on Sunday, the two cart pushers, Vineeth and Vijay, were arrested. Police are on the lookout for Rajasekar. Gudiyatham DSP told TNIE, “An FIR was registered against ten individuals, including Vineeth, Vijay and Rajasekar.”