Accused hurt as Madurai police open fire to thwart escape bid

MADURAI: In yet another case of police shooting and injuring a suspect to thwart his attempt to escape from the cops, a 25-year-old man accused in a murder case suffered injuries below his knee in Madurai on Tuesday. Subsequently, the man was arrested.

According to police, Vinothkumar along with his gang had hacked‘Dora Bala’ alias Balamurugan to death at Valar Nagar on February 22. ‘Dora Bala’ alias Balamurugan developed an affair with Vinoth’s mother, when he was staying in the latter’s house at Kovilpatti for seven months during the COVID lockdown.

Vinothkumar, who learnt about the extra-marital affair, asked Balamurugan to leave the house and this led to enmity between them.

Vinothkumar along with 12 of his accomplices, kept a close watch of Balamurugan’s movements and on February hacked him to death near Ooranikarai in Sengunthar Nagar.

Following this, Mattuthavani police registered a case under Sections 147, 148, 341 and 302 of IPC. While 10 persons, including ‘Puli’ alias Vijayarajan, Surya, Melur Mari, Deva, Arunpandian alias Sambar Othakadai, Selvakumar, Aashik, Gaja alias Jegatheeswaran, Surya alias ‘Gaana’ and Thyagu alias Kadappa were arrested in the case earlier, a hunt was launched to nab the key accused Vinothkumar and one more suspect.

Meanwhile, a police team, led by Mattuthavani Inspector of Police Rajangam, got a tip-off that Vinothkumar was hiding at Kalungu near Vandiyur lake. The team rushed to the spot and arrested him.

Subsequently, when the cops took Vinothkumar to crime scene to recover the knife, a key evidence, he under the pretext of handing over the weapon, attacked constable Saravana Kumar and tried to escape. Immediately, police opened fire to thwart his attempt. Vinothkumar received a gunshot. Due to the injury, he was unable to run and caught.

Both Vinothkumar and Saravana Kumar were then rushed to Government Rajaji Hospital.

Based on a complaint by Inspector Rajangam, Annanagar police registered a case against Vinothkumar under Sections 294 (b), 353, 332, 324 and 307 of IPC, sources said.