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TN police shot dead 30-year-old in custody, call action ‘necessity’
Police shot and killed 30-year-old Alaguraja in Perambalur after he attacked officers during a weapon recovery attempt; a magistrate inquiry is pending.
Police on Tuesday shot and killed a 30-year-old man in their custody in Perambalur, claiming that the killing was necessitated for self-defence after he attacked police officers.
The deceased was identified as Alaguraja. He was part of a gang which had on January 24 attempted to murder a convict, Vellaikali, while he was being transported under police custody from Dindigul district for a court hearing to the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai, said police.
The gang allegedly trailed the police escort in two vans and hurled country bombs at them. Two police personnel were injured in that incident. Police had formed five special teams to search for the suspects. On Monday night, the special teams arrested seven accused, including Alaguraja.
Following his arrest in the case, the Mangalamedu police took Alaguraja near the Thirumandurai forest in Perambalur on Tuesday to recover hidden weapons they had used for the attack.
“He attacked a police sub-inspector with a machete to escape and hurled a country-made bomb at a police vehicle,” said control zone inspector general K Balakrishnan. “An inspector shot back at him in self defence.”
The accused died on the spot. Sub inspector Sankar who sustained injuries and was admitted to the Perambalur Government Hospital for treatment.
The Mangalamedu station had registered a case of attempt to murder against Alaguraja. He was found to have been hiding in Ooty and based on his confession five others were arrested.
“He has five pending cases against him including three murder cases,” said Balakrishan. “This morning, he took the Mangalamedu police to different locations and misled them saying that the gang had hidden the weapons there. Finally, near a toll gate, he finally took them to the spot and pretended to hand over the country bombs to them but hurled one at the police vehicle which is now damaged. When the SI tried to stop him, he used one of the hidden weapons and attacked his hand. The inspector fired one round and the bullet went to his head. He was taken to a government hospital where doctors said he was already dead. A magistrate inquiry will happen in the case.”
In the January 24 case, a police personnel had multiple fractures and cuts on his leg and is still under treatment in a hospital, said Balakrishan.
