The Chittoor Rural police, in the early hours of Saturday, nabbed 29 labourers engaged in felling of red sanders trees in the Seshachalam Hills, after intercepting a bus from Tamil Nadu in the Murakambattu locality on the outskirts of Chittoor.
Presenting the accused before the media here, DSP M. Lakshmi Naidu and Circle Inspector Allabaksh said that 29 labourers were apprehended, while six others, including two meistries (mobilisers of the labourers), fled the scene.
The officials said that during the regular check of vehicles on the national highway, the bus with the accused on board was intercepted. All of a sudden the accused alighted from the vehicle and tried to attack the police with axes, machetes and crowbars. However, the armed personnel overpowered them and took them into custody.
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Later, the labourers confessed that they were from Krishnagiri and Villipuram districts of Tamil Nadu, and were on their way to Seshachalam hills. As many as 13 cell phones were seized from them.
The police launched a hunt for the fugitives. The patrol parties from Palasamudram and Gangadhara Nellore police stations took part in the raid.
14 logs seized from ambulanceADVERTISEMENT
Kadapa Special Correspondent adds: Police arrested eight persons and seized 14 red sander logs worth of Rs. 2.5 lakh that were being transported in an ambulance from Badvel to Bangalore on Saturday. The accused belong to Nellore district, Badvel Circle Inspector Venkatappa said.