A 73-year-old trader was arrested by Gudiyatham Town police in Vellore on Tuesday for possession of 50 kgs of gutka in the shop.
Police said the arrested shopkeeper was identified as R. Venkatesan, a resident of Gudiyatham. Initial inquiry revealed that he was running a grocery shop in Vasantham Nagar in the town.
Police said that based on orders of the Superintendent of Police N.U. Sivaraman, a special team conducted a surprise check in grocery outlets in the town when the team found a huge quantity of gutka stored in the grocery shop run by Venkatesan.
Police said that the trader brought gutka from agents in Chittoor to sell in retail in the town for a higher price. A case was registered. A probe is underway.
Published - October 20, 2026 06:19 pm IST