32 TN sander woodcutters arrested

Thirty-two suspected red sander woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were arrested and 19 logs worth over Rs 15 lakh seized from them at Chintagunta village in the district today, police said.

A mini lorry, 10 axes and two saws were also seized from the woodcutters, all of whom hail from Salem in Tamil Nadu, Additional Superintendent of Police (Chittoor), G R Radhika said.

"The arrests were effected when the woodcutters were loading red sander logs into a mini lorry at Chintagunta close to the Seshachalam hills," she said.

The SP said that on a tip off, a 30 member armed police team and other officials swung into action and arrested the woodcutters early this morning.

Later, the arrested were remanded to judicial custody after being produced at a court at Piler, 60 km from here, she said.

In March 2 this year, 84 suspected red sander woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were arrested near here for allegedly entering the Seshachalam forests.

They were released the next day on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each and transported back to Tamil Nadu by two buses arranged by the state government.