Driver arrested for illegal extraction of sand from Palar river in Tirupattur

The police team checked the truck and found a lot of river sand in it. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Police at Natrampalli near Jolarpet town in Tirupattur arrested a 42-year-old driver for illegally extracting sand from the dried-up bed of the Palar river on Saturday.

Police said the arrested person has been identified as S. Mariappan, a resident of Tirupattur.

A police team was patrolling the Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) at Bathalapalli village near Natrampalli when a tipper truck stopped. The team checked the truck and found a lot of river sand in it.

He fled the scene before the police tried to apprehend the truck driver. The vehicle with the sand was secured and the case registered. The police analyzed CCTV footage of the route to later nab the truck driver. A probe is underway.

Published – 23 May 2026 23:32 IST