Officers of the CID branch of the district police seized a goods carrier carrying 120 bags of rice meant for the public distribution system (PDS) at the Anandavadi checkpost in MelChengam near Tiruvannamalai on Thursday.
Based on an alert to A. Pavan Kumar Reddy, SP, Tiruvannamalai, a special patrol team led by Selvam, a sub-inspector, MelChengam police, was checking vehicles at the checkpost on Tiruvannamalai - Krishnagiri Main Road. The team intercepted a mini-lorry heading to poultry farms in Namakkal. As the vehicle was loaded with bags, the police grew suspicious. After a search, they found that the vehicle was loaded with 120 bags of PDS rice weighing 40 kg each. Police seized the PDS rice and the vehicle. The driver was identified as A. Karunakaran, 37, a resident of MelChengam village from Chengam taluk in the district. The suspect diverted the rice meant for public distribution and stocked it at a house. The investigation revealed that he was also collecting PDS rice from the surrounding areas and selling it to poultry farm owners in Namakkal for many months. He was remanded in judicial custody, police said.
Meanwhile, the district police in Tiruvannamalai have detained 11 accused under Goondas Act on Thursday, taking the total number of persons under the Act to 51 in the district since January. These include 12 offenders of law and order, property (13), illegal sand mining (1), sexual abuse (3) and bootlegger (16). In another development, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Tiruvannamalai arrested an assistant with the Vandavasi Housing Cooperative Society for demanding a bribe of ₹2,500 for processing housing applications. The DVAC officials said that K. Chinnaraja, who worked as an assistant in the Society for many years, demanded money to provide a no-objection certificate to obtain the original document of the house that belonged to the complainant’s father. Based on a complaint, the DVAC laid a trap where Mr. Chinnaraja reiterated his earlier demand and received the bribe of ₹2,500 from the complainant. The accused was arrested.
According to a press release, all liquor outlets will be closed in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts on May 1 (Sunday) on account of May Day. All liquor shops and bars in hotels and restaurants would be closed on the day. Special teams have been formed by respective district administration to enforce the shutdown on the dry day. If any violations were found, the license of the said outlet will be cancelled and criminal proceedings will be undertaken against the owner of the outlet, the release said.
