COIMBATORE: A journalist of a Tamil news channel was grievously injured in a murderous attack unleashed by a gang in Tirupur on Wednesday night.
The victim, Nesaprabhu from K Krishnapuram near Palladam has been admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore. Shockingly, the journalist came under attack even as he was on a distress call with police from Kamanaickenpalayam station.
The police came under sharp criticism from opposition political parties and the public for failing to act despite the journalist’s frantic plea for help. He had first informed the control room of unidentified men without number plates on their vehicles trailing and keeping a watch on him near his residence.
On another call with a cop from Kamanaickenpalayam station, Nesaprabhu informed that unidentified men had been shadowing him over the last two days. On the insistence of the cop to come to the station to file a complaint, Nesaprabhu set out in a car, when the assailants surrounded and attacked him with sickles and knives at a petrol bunk.
‘My life is over’, he screams before the call with the cop ends abruptly. His audio conversations have become viral on social media.
Police said Nesaprabhu suffered grievous injuries to his head, chest and hand and was rushed to Palladam Government Hospital and later to a private hospital in Coimbatore.
Later, police secured two assailants G Praveen, 27, from Erode and B Saravanan, 23, from KVR Nagar in Tirupur. An inquiry with them revealed that Nesaprabhu had a tiff with one Sabarivijai, a pimp at Ayyampalayam in Tirupur three days ago.