Coimbatore: A 50-year-old man was arrested at Gomangalam on Sunday for illegally storing fertilizer that is provided by the government to the farmers at subsidised price.
The Gomangalam police identified the accused as B Mummoorthy, of Alagappa Street at Jothi Nagar in Pollachi. He was nabbed during a vehicle check on Pollachi-Udumalpet road.
A police officer said the Pollachi agriculture officer, Thulasimani, had seized 905 fertilizer bags meant for distribution under the state government subsidy scheme from a godown at Kedimedu village near Gomangalam on January 18, along with a truck that was used to smuggle the same.
“The officer lodged a police complaint and preliminary investigation revealed the godown owner Ramasamy, along with Mummoorthy and Santhosh, was involved in smuggling fertilizers. They had gone into hiding,” the officer said.
Police, who registered a case under Section 7(1) (a) (ii) of the Essential Commodities Act, conducted the vehicle check on Pollachi-Udumalpet Road on Sunday afternoon and nabbed Mummoorthy, who was travelling in a car. They also seized Rs 9,500 from him and produced him before a judicial magistrate. Later, he was lodged in jail under judicial custody.