Sand smuggling: Minor among 3 held for murder bid on SSI

TIRUCHY: The police on Friday arrested three persons, including a minor boy, who had attempted to murder an SSI during a bid to prevent sand smuggling in Kodukili village in the Thanjavur district.

On September 30, upon receiving information that sand was being smuggled, a police team headed by SSI Muthuvel from the Melattur area went to Kodukili village in Thanjavur district.

A gang was reportedly trying to smuggle river sand in a tractor in Kodukili village, according to the police. When SSI Muthuvel tried to prevent them, the gang had reportedly attempted to murder him by running the tractor over him. Fortunately, Muthuvel's teammate Raman came to his rescue and saved him from the gang. Muthuvel has been undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Thanjavur, the police said.

The Melattur police registered a case. The police conducted an investigation and on Friday arrested G Ramalingam (67), a resident of Kodukili; S Baskar (51), a resident of the same village; and a 17-year-old boy who was driving the tractor during the murder attempt.

The Melattur police are also searching for the tractor owner, S Kumar (50), a resident of Aryapuram in Thanjavur, in connection with the case. Further investigations are under way.