Report and Pics by Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (RD/SP)

Bantwal, Aug 21: The town policemen, led by circle inspector Nanjunde Gowda, in a lightning operation, seized a truck that was found to be illegally carrying cans of spirit, here in the early hours on Thursday August 20.  They also arrested a person in this regard.

The arrested person has been identified as Ashraf Talapady, a local resident. 

The Bantwal town policemen on night patrol duty intercepted a truck, the movement of which looked suspicious, on Mangalore – Bangalore national highway (NH) 48, at B C Road, here in the early morning hours today.  The truck driver sped away, without stopping his truck, despite the orders of the policemen, who gave the vehicle a hot chase up to Talpady, near B C Road, in the vicinity of Canara Saw Mill there.  The policemen also found two other trucks unloading the cans of spirit from two trucks bearing Haryana registration numbers.  Meanwhile, the policemen managed to nab the truck driver, Ashraf Talapady, a local resident, while the main accused Kokkada Hanif and Pratvipal Rai, fled from the scene, leaving behind a motor cycle.

The policemen seized three trucks, a motor cycle and 395 spirit cans of 35 liters each in the raid.  The cost of the seized rectified spirit is about Rs 10 lac, while the approximate value of the three trucks and a motor cycle seized in the operation is around Rs 15 lac, the sources informed.

Circle inspector Nanjunde Gowda said that cases are being registered under the Excise Act, on two truck drivers and also the main accused, Kokkada Hanif and Pratvipal Rai, apart from the arrested Ashraf.

Town sub inspector Vivekanand, assistant sub inspector Santappa Gowda, policemen Shailendra, Yajnanarayan, Jayakumar and Sitaram, were involved with the operation.