The police recently arrested three people near Red Hills mining area who used to extort money from the plying lorries with ore in them.
Narasimha Murthy, Shankariaha, Krishnamurthy all hailing from Sondenahalli along with their other associates used to stop ore laden lorries that travelled from the Red Hills mining area and to extort money from them. PSI Ramachandra arrested the three and has registered a case against them.However a few others managed to escape.
The mining areas cover the hilly regions of Sondenhalli, Guddahalli, Hatyalu and Ibbigi. It is common practice for groups in the area to stop ore laden lorries and pester them for money in the name of forest development or religious activities. If a lorry driver refuses to pay money, these groups are known to attack the vehicle as well as the crew.
