TIRUCHY: History-sheeter Alaguraja, who was the brain behind attempting to murder a rowdy Vellai Kali who was being taken to Chennai by police, was killed in an encounter while he attempted to escape from police after attacking them in Perambalur on Tuesday.
According to sources, S Kali alias Vellai Kali (30), a notorious rowdy from Madurai, was taken by the police to Puzhal prison in Chennai on January 24 after being produced before the Dindigul Court on January 23.
On the way, the police stopped at Perambalur in the Tiruchy-Chennai bypass for breakfast. While they were eating, a gang of around 15 people who came by two cars started hurling country bombs at the police and Vallai Kali. Soon, Sub Inspector Ramachandran opened fire, and the gang escaped from the spot.
Two police personnel -- S Vignesh Kumar (37) and K Maruthapandi (30) sustained injuries.
Mangalamedu police registered a case against the unidentified gang based on the complaint by Sub Inspector Ramachandran.
A special team was formed to nab the culprits. Based on the information, the police team arrested seven persons who were identified as S Kottu Raja alias Alaguraja (30) from Madurai, R Nirmal Kumar (26), N Pandi Muneeswaran (27), S Karthi (29), D Alex Pandian (34) all from Madurai, A Aravanan (29) from Tiruchy, R Vinod (34) from Nilgiris while they were hiding in Ooty.
Upon investigation, the gang confessed to the special team that they had concealed their weapons, including country bombs, in a forest area near Tirumanthurai in Perambalur.
Subsequently, the team took Alaguraja to the spot on Tuesday at around 3.45 am by a team of Mangalamedu police headed by Inspector Nandakumar. Upon reaching the spot, Alaguraja, who grabbed a country bomb, hurled it at the police in an attempt to escape.
Inspector Nandakumar opened fire, in which Alaguraja sustained severe injuries and fell unconscious, and soon, the police rushed him to Perambalur GH. However, he succumbed on the way to the hospital. While the Sub-inspector Sankar, who sustained injury in the bomb attack, was undergoing treatment in the GH.
On information, the IGP (Central Zone) V Balakrishnan and Perambalur SP GS Anitha rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry. The officials also visited the hospital and consoled the SI, who was undergoing treatment.