SSI escapes bid on life by sand smugglers near Gudiyattam
Panchayat clerk among 10 persons named in FIR
Police at Chinna Thottalam village near Gudiyattam following attempt to murder SSI, who stopped sand smuggling carts
VELLORE: In yet another case of sand smugglers’ brutal act, a special branch SSI escaped narrowly after a gang unleashed a murderous attack on him near Gudiyattam.
An FIR has been registered against 10 persons including a panchayat clerk under various sections, including Sec 307 IPC (attempt to murder), following their attempts to run down Manavalan, special branch (SB) SSI attached to the Melpatti police station near Gudiyattam, on Saturday.
Sources said that SB-SSI Manavalan acting on a tip-off that sand was being smuggled in carts from Chinna Thottalam rushed to the spot around 9.30 pm on Friday.
On seeing two carts carrying freshly quarried sand, he signalled them to stop. But, those riding the carts ignored the SSI’s order and this led to a heated argument even as both were on the move.
Even as the spat was on, Rajasekar, Konda Samudram (Gudiyattam PU) panchayat clerk and a native of Chinna Thottalam, allegedly asked the cart men to run down ‘anybody’, who tried to stop them.
The cart men then escaped to Chinna Thottalam.
When the SSI also followed them to the village, he was surrounded and threatened with dire consequences, an eyewitness told DT Next. Meanwhile, Gudiyattam DSP Ramamoorthy, who got an alert from Manavalan, arrived on the scene with a posse of constables and demanded that the culprits be handed over to them.
Locals who had gathered there in large numbers said they had taken sand only for work at a local temple. Meanwhile, a check by the cops revealed that the duo Rajasekar and Vineeth (30) of Chinna Thottalam had dumped the two cartloads of sand and had escaped.
As police stood their ground, the crowd relented and agreed to hand over the culprits and the carts.
Vellore SP N Manivannan said, “We have booked cases against 10 persons under various sections, including attempt to murder and preventing a government servant from discharging his duty. We expect to nab the culprits very shortly.”
However, a sitting panchayat clerk being directly involved in illegal sand smuggling and having the temerity to threaten the police has created quite a furore in the area. Investigations are continuing.