Three arrested for selling banned toddy

: Three office bearers of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association ere arrested near Sulur on the city outskirts today for selling toddy, which is banned in the state and 15 litres of the spirit were seized, police said.
Based on information about the sales in and around Sulur, police rushed to the spot and arrested A K Shanmugham,district president and two other office bearers of the Association, an apolitical body.
About 15 litres of toddy and some pots used to store it were seized from them, police said.
Toddy tapping and sales are banned in the State and various associations have for the last few years been demanding that it be lifted.

On learning about the arrests, about 50 farmers gathered in front of Prohibition Enforcement Cell office in Arumathampatti and staged a picketing, condemning the arrests.
They said farmers wanted to draw government's attention on the need to lift the ban and allow toddy tapping and sales, police said.