The migrant labourers who were caught by the Vellore district police while travelling in a container truck, at an inter-State RTO check-post near Katpadi on Wednesday, boarded at Nazarathpet near Poonamalle, said the police.
On Wednesday, the revenue authorities and the police intercepted a container truck which had locks on it. As the driver gave evasive replies, they broke open the lock and found 57 migrants sitting inside the container. They were bound for Varanasi. Of the 57, 9 were women and 11, children. They were disembarked and as per the heath ministry protocol lodged in a special care zone created in a private school in Katpadi.
A senior police officer said, “They started the journey from places around Poonamallee and the driver of vehicle, who was their relative, had come down to Sriperumpudur for transporting cars.”
They told the officials that they had decided to move to their hometowns after the coronavirus had spread in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. Travel arrangement was being done for their safe return to their native place. The vehicle was seized and a case booked against the driver, said the police official.
