Over 24 tonnes of rice and 1,450 kg of wheat, meant for public distribution system and illegally stocked in a godown here, were seized by Virudhunagar district police on Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team of police led by Superintendent of Police M. Manohar raided the godown at K. K. S. S. N. Nagar in the evening found huge quantities of the rice and wheat at the godown belonging to K. Kannan, 45, of Allampatti.
Kannan and three others were arrested, and a van, a cargo vehicle and a two-wheeler were seized. The ration goods were handed over to Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation godown.
Boy drowns
A 15-year-old boy, Prathap of Koomapatti, drowned in a farm well on Sunday afternoon.
Police said that the boy had gone to take bath in the well with his friends. After he drowned, Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Watrap struggled for more than 12 hours to retrieve the body. However, since the well had water for nearly 70 feet, they could not reach the bottom of it. After they suspended the search operation past midnight, the body floated in the water on Monday morning.
Fiat on banners
Permission for placing advertisement hoardings and banners in rural areas should be obtained from respective local bodies and local police stations.
In a statement, Virudhunagar Collector J. Meghanath Reddy said that the hoardings and banners for marriages, festivals and advertisements that were put up without permission would be removed by the authorities concerned. Besides, fine would be imposed on the violators, the statement said.
