Sand smuggler tries to run over officials

VELLORE: A week after a youth was crushed to death by the driver of a sand-laden lorry in Tirunelveli district, a tractor driver, who was transporting illegally-mined sand, attempted to run over revenue officials during a vehicle check near Ambur on Saturday.  An office assistant, Shanmugam, who accompanied the officials, was injured in the incident. Acting on a tip-off that sand is being mined at Vinnamangalam near Ambur, a team led by Revenue Inspector Uma Ramya and Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Karmegam were checking vehicles in the Vellakkal area. When they tried to stop a tractor which failed to halt at the check point, the tractor driver drove the vehicle towards them and then sped away.Based on a complaint filed by VAO Karmegam, Ambur taluk police filed a case in this connection and investigations are on. In Tirunelveli, 21-year-old Satish Kumar was crushed to death on March 11.Lorries SeizedTwo lorries used for sand mining were seized at Anaicut and Ambur, in the district on Saturday. Lorry driver  Venkatesan (40), was arrested. The lorry belonged to the ward member of a nearby village. In Ambur, a tipper lorry with illegally mined sand was seized.