Red-sander woodcutter killed in police firing

A red-sander woodcutter was killed after police fired on a group of red-sander smugglers when they pelted police party with stones in a forest area in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district today, police said.
A group of smugglers hurled stones on a police party under Bhakarpet police station limits in Kudathalkonda area in Chittoor district around noon, and despite warning and firing in the air, smugglers continued with heavy stone pelting, forcing police to open fire on them resulting in the death of one woodcutter, Chittoor District Superintendent of Police G Srinivas said.
"The red-sander smugglers attacked the police party with heavy stone pelting from 40ft height and police fired in self-defense in retaliation. The deceased is suspected to be from Tamil Nadu, while other managed to flee," the SP told PTI over phone.

The special police team had been combing in the forest area near Kudathalkonda since last evening and had spotted close to 100 red-sander smugglers, he said, adding more than four-and-half-ton red-sander logs worth Rs 3 crore has been seized since last night.
Further investigations were going on.