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Over 170 suspects nabbed
Over 170 Suspects Nabbed, Red Sanders Smuggling in Tirupati, Recent Red Sanders Smuggling Case. He said that they have decided to hold a meeting after the funeral of the two officers to decide the future course of action.
• dept personnel decide against combing operations
• To resume duty only after firm assurance on safety
• 20 armed police in each forest division to check red sanders smuggling
Tirupati: Shocked by the brutal attack by red sanders smugglers on the forest staff in Peddabandlachenu forest area on the hills in the Seshachalam hill ranges on Sunday, killing two personnel, the forest department and the task force personnel have rounded up as many as 178 persons from various places.
According to reliable sources, the teams of forest officials conducted raids at several places including Anajaneyapuram, Balapalli near Kodur, Renigunta and Srivarimittu, and nabbed the suspects.
They were all shifted to the forest office in Tirupati for questioning them on the killing of deputy forest ranger Sridhar and assistant beat officer David Karunakaran.
Unconfirmed report said that as many as 60 people were rounded up in Balapalli and Anjaneyapuram areas from where smugglers usually trek up the hills to reach Tirumala forests.
The officials took a suspicious group of 8-10 persons waiting to board Tamil Nadu-bound Jayanthi express at Renigunta and 105 workers of smugglers at Railway Koduru station. The remaining persons were picked up from Srivarimettu and Tirumala forests.
The operations against the smugglers which started a few hours after the killings lasted till the early morning of Monday, and would be resumed on Tuesday, to enable the personnel to pay their homage to their departed colleagues in Tirupati, where Sridhar was residing, and near Renigunta, the place of David Karunakaran.
Simultaneously, the police also took up search in several places and took many into custody. However the details were not known as the police declined to say anything as it would alert the smugglers still holed up in the district.
Meanwhile, Bangarupalyam police seized a vehicle (Eicher truck) along with 30 red sander logs, after receiving information from the village Ragimanupenta. Police said the driver and a person fled after it overturned while negotiating a sharp curve on the road leading to Tamil Nadu.
In Chittoor, police led by Chittoor DSP Rajeshwar Reddy took 10 persons into custody on suspicion.
Mean while, forest personnel wore black badges and reported for duty in Tirupati as a mark of condolence to the murdered forest officials and also to protest against the apathy of higher officials.
A senior staffer said on condition of anonymity said that they had conveyed to the higher officials that they would not venture into the forests for combing operations against smugglers till a definite assurance was given on the safety and security of the staff.
He said that they have decided to hold a meeting after the funeral of the two officers to decide the future course of action.
