Illegal sand mining: Police official injured

KOZHIKODE: A police official was injured when he tried to stop a lorry reportedly used in illegal sand mining operations at Feroke near here this morning.

Assistant Sub-Inspector K Damodaran was injured when he tried to stop the lorry and asked the driver to surrender, police said.

However, the driver sped away after pushing down the official, they said. A police team gave chase and nabbed the driver. The lorry was impounded.

Damodaran has been hospitalised, the sources said. In a similar incident in neighbouring Malappuram district, a group of persons, allegedly engaged in illegal sand mining, tried to overpower a police team which stopped them at Tavanur this morning.

Acting on a tip-off, the police team reached the spot and blocked the vehicle used in the operations, they said, adding though the culprits put up some resistance initially, they soon fled leaving the vehicle behind