Security guard injured after being shot with air gun

MADURAI: A 24-year-old security guard of a private farm at Pethanaickenpatti village near Palani of Dindigul district suffered a bullet wound after he was shot by a miscreant.

The injured victim has been identified as K Karthi, a native of Thiruvidaimarudur near Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district. The victim received a bullet wound on the left side of the chest. The injured victim was rushed to Palani Government Hospital and later referred to Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai sources said.

The incident occurred at around 1 am on Sunday and Superintendent of Police V Baskaran and Palani DSP Sivasakthi inspected the crime scene.

Investigations carried out by the Palani Taluk police revealed that the victim was along with the farm owner G Mohanraj (35) when the incident occurred. The miscreant should have used an air gun and sixteen pellets were recovered from the scene of the crime. Normally, air guns are used for poaching animals such as wild boar and rabbits that could have grazed the farmland where maize cultivation is underway. However, poachers are suspected to have targeted the security guard Karthi and opened gunfire at him. Recently, a forest personnel arrested a poacher for hunting wild boar and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, sources said. A fingerprint expert examined the spot and a sniffer dog was pressed into service.