Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Hariram Shankar prevented an alleged illegal transportation of sand that was in connivance with personnel from the toll plaza in Talapady early on Saturday.
Having watched the movement of a couple of vehicles at the Talapady checkpost for a few days, Mr. Kumar and Mr. Shankar went in civilian clothes to the place. The two came on a two-wheeler from the city and crossed the free lane to stop on the other side of the toll gate.
Around 4 a.m. the two officials saw a lorry filled with sand coming to the toll plaza. As the lorry crossed the toll plaza, the two officials blocked the way and apprehended three persons who were in it.
The sand was being brought from a dump yard in Ullal and was going towards Kerala. Six persons in two cars were seen standing a few metres away from the place the two officials were standing. They were watching the lorry and were waiting to escort towards Kerala. The two officials tipped off the police on night rounds who rushed to the spot to catch them. The six persons pushed the police officials aside and escaped, the police said.
On the complaint by Mr. Shankar, the Ullal police registered a case under Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code against the three accused persons in the lorry. The unknown toll plaza personnel have been booked under Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of IPC. Another FIR was registered against six persons under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant) of IPC.
