Alleging that the police and authorities have colluded to free the truckers who were illegally transporting sand, residents gheraoed the police station, forcibly detaining the official, department of mines and geology, here on Saturday.

For over a week, the deputy commissioner and other senior officials had seized several tractors and trucks involved in illegally transporting sand. 

Some vehicle owners, and members of the public handed over two lorries, allegedly belonging to the relatives of a former legislator, to the police.

Public protested saying that Rajanna was in town in order to arrange for the release of the vehicles.

Detaining the official at the station, the public demanded that the senior officials be called to the spot.

“Other vehicles have not been released for a week now, why should only the vehicles of the former legislator’s relatives be released?” the public  demanded.

Clarification
Officer Rajanna clarified that he had not arrived in town to arrange for the release of the vehicles. He added that following the report submitted by the police, he had arrived in town to submit two of the seized lorries - along with the materials - to the court.

 After the clarification, the protest was withdrawn.

T K Nagaraj, Topda Nagaraj, Manjunath, Rajkumar and other Congress leaders led the protest.