Sand mafia claims constable's life

A 43-year-old constable was today crushed to death while a sub-inspector managed to escape unhurt when a tractor illegally transporting sand ran over him here after its driver defied orders to stop, police said.
Sub-Inspector P Rajan and constable Kanagaraj attached to Thakkolam Police station, on information that sand was being illegally transported, intercepted a tractor and asked its driver to halt the vehicle.
The driver, however, sped up and in the process, Kanagaraj came under the wheels, resulting in his instant death, police said.
Police said a search is on for the driver identified as Suresh who abandoned the vehicle and fled.

The police personnel were going on a motorcycle around 7am and the tractor was coming in the opposite direction. Kanagaraj had got down from the two-wheeler and was trying to stop the tractor but before that, it ran over him killing him on the spot, police said.
Police have seized the vehicle.