Chennai: 1,800 kg gutka, car seized; family of four arrested
Rajendran and his family members were arrested and handed over to the Shankar Nagar police.
Chennai: The Chennai police on Saturday claimed to have recovered 1,800 kg of gutka, which is banned in the country, and arrested a family of four, including a senior citizen.
Those arrested have been identified as Rajendran (62), his wife Rani (55), two sons Radha Krishnan (26) and Vijaya Raj (22). However, the elder son R. Mahendran (34), alleged to be A1 accused in the case, absconded, police added.
The family lived in a house in Periyar Nagar in Pammal near Pallavaram, and was running a grocery store near Pammal mosque.
The arrests came following a tip-off received by South Zone Joint commissioner Maheshwari from an anonymous caller who alleged that the family in Periyar Nagar was involved in smuggling and sale of gutka in their grocery shop. A special team was formed and a vigil maintained to notice the movements of the family members.
By around 11:30 pm on Friday, a special police team conducted a raid in the house. Large bags containing gutka was found hidden among the grocery bags at a godown in the house, police said. Gutka weighing 1,800 kg worth Rs 25 lakh, and also a car worth Rs two lakh used to smuggle gutka, were seized.
Rajendran and his family members were arrested and handed over to the Shankar Nagar police.
Police said that Mahendran smuggled the contraband from Andhra Pradesh and distributed it to different parts in the city here. Shankar Nagar police have registered a case, and are investigating.
