CHENNAI: Attempts to arrest a suspect, accused of setting a woman on fire inside the Ponneri Government Hospital on Monday evening, saw several tense moments on Tuesday when the Tiruvallur police shot him in the leg after he attacked a sub-inspector and tried to escape.

Rajeshwari, who was a data entry operator at the hospital, had just finished her shift and was preparing to leave when the accused Prakash, 36, of Madhavaram entered the hospital, chased her down, doused her with petrol and threw a lit matchstick on her. Rajeshwari suffered over 50% burns and is under treatment at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital.

After the incident, the police formed special teams to trace Prakash. They tracked him down to a spot near a cremation ground. When police approached him, he allegedly attacked sub inspector Thamilarasan with a sickle. Ponneri inspector Sivakumar then shot him below the knee. Prakash was initially treated at the Ponneri Government Hospital and later shifted to Stanley Government Hospital.

According to the initial probe, Prakash and Rajeshwari were an estranged couple. Prakash was enraged after Rajeshwari severed all contacts with him and decided to take revenge, the police said.