Trichy: Police on Tuesday arrested two individuals in Trichy on charges of illegally mining sand from the Cauvery river. They seized half a unit of sand and three aluminum vessels from them.
Arrest Details
Acting on a tip-off, the Srirangam police rushed to the Cauvery riverbed near Kallanai Road and caught P Shivaraj, 35, and P Karthikeyan, 28, both from Manachanallur, while they were loading sand into large aluminum vessels.
During the investigation, police learned that the suspects lacked the necessary documents for mining. The men claimed they were taking sand at the direction of a kiln owner. Police arrested them and seized sand worth ₹20,000.
Legal Action
A case was registered against them under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft and under Section 21(i) of the Mines and Minerals Act for illegal mining. Shivaraj and Karthikeyan were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
Police are now searching for the alleged kiln owner, Karunanidhi, who is believed to have directed the illegal operation.
This incident highlights ongoing concerns about illegal sand mining in the region, which poses environmental risks and depletes river resources.
