Six gutkha traders held

Warangal: The Task Force Police on Thursday arrested six traders, who allegedly involved in the illegal transport of gutka packets under the Warangal Police Commissionerate limits, and seized gutka packets, two cars, one auto-rickshaw, one two-wheeler, nine mobile phones and Rs 26,000 in cash, all worth around Rs 26 lakh, from them.

Chidara Harishankar of Hasanparthy, Warangal; Dharawat Malsoor Nayak, Bhadradri Kothagudem district; Akketi Santosh and Kura Mahender of Yelkaturthy mandal in Warangal Urban district; Dontula Ravi and Nathyam Jithender of Jaipur mandal in Mancherial district were arrested.

Giving details about the arrest, ACP Venkataramana Reddy said that the task force had received information that Chidara Harishankar is selling the illegal gutka packets in Hasanparthy mandal headquarters.

Task Force inspector Nandiram Nayak kept a watch on the place and noticed that not only Harishankar but also Malsoor Nayak and Santosh were involved in the sale of the contraband products, through cars and autorickshaws. 

The police took the three into the custody and got information that Dontula Ravi was supplying the illegal products to them by transporting them from the neighbouring Maharashtra in costly cars.

After the car reaches the outskirts of Warangal, Santosh will supply them to petty traders by auto-rickshaws. On a tip-off, the task force police waylaid on the outskirts of Elkathurthi mandal and arrested Ravi and the driver, besides seizing gutka and amber packets.

Separate cases were registered against all the accused under the Elkathurthy and Hasanparthy police station limits and handed over the contraband to the police stations concerned.

Commissioner of Police V Ravinder commended the Task Force ACP Venkataramana Reddy, inspectors Nandiram Naik, Devender, head constables Shyam Sundar, Srikanth, Ranjith, Mahender and others.