TIRUCHY: A panchayat pres- ident from Kumbakonam, involved in illegal weapon sales, was detained under the Goondas Act on Monday.

According to police, the intelligence wing received information that pistols were in free movement at Manancheri village near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur and that police were on vigil. On November 7, the police seized a pistol from Thendral (33), a resident of Thirupurampiyam.

Based on inputs from him, police found Murugan (45), Kallapuliyur panchayat president, was behind the illegal weapon business. Murugan smuggled pistols and bullets from Puducherry to sell them to known customers.

On November 8, police arrested Murugan, his associates Eswaran (21) from Keezhparattai, Ranjith Kumar (26) from Uma Maheswara Puram, Manikandan (26) from Palakkarai and seized two pistols and 14 bullets.