: An armed reserve constable — Srikanth — attached to the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF), and a woodcutter from Tamil Nadu were injured when a clash took place between the combing party and woodcutters at the Yellampalle gradient point in Bhakarapeta beat of the Seshachalam hills on Saturday morning.
The constable was injured in the arm, resulting in fracture, in the stone-pelting by woodcutters. One of the woodcutters received a head injury when he fell on a rock while trying to flee along with his colleagues numbering around 40.
According to information, a Task Force combing party led by inspector Bhaskar moving towards Yellampalle forest location stopped at a pond on spotting a group of woodcutters carrying red sanders logs. The woodcutters started pelting stones on them. When the task force opened one round of fire, the woodcutters abandoned the logs and fled.
The nabbed woodcutter was identified as Chinna Munaswamy Venkatesh (25) of Jawadu Hills of Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. As many as 36 logs worth over Rs. 2 crore was seized. The constable and the woodcutter were rushed to hospital at Tirupati.
