The Vitla police booked a lorry driver, its owner and a laterite stone quarry owner for allegedly transporting 200 laterite stones illegally in Salethur village in Bantwal Taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.The police said the vehicle was stopped at the Salethur Medu checkpost on Friday night, and 200 laterite stones were found inside. The driver, S. Thippeswamy, admitted that he did not have a permit or documents for transporting the stones. He told the police that he was transporting the stones from a quarry owned by Srinidhi Bhat in Kommangala, near Anekallu in Kasaragod district of Kerala. The vehicle was owned by Prakash Bhat, the police said.The Vitla police on Saturday registered a case against Thippeswamy, Prakash Bhat, and Srinidhi Bhat for offences under Section 303(2) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 4(1), 4(1A), and 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and Sections 3 and 44 of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1994. Published - August 09, 2026 07:48 pm IST