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COIMBATORE: In a dramatic chase straight out of a movie, a cop clung to the roof of a speeding car for nearly 40 km to nab three gutka smugglers in Coimbatore on Sunday.
The daring pursuit by head constable M Velmurugan ended near Thekkalur in Avinashi in Tirupur with the arrest of the accused Babudhara, 27, Ramesh Kumar, 23, and Suresh Kumar, 23, all natives of Rajasthan.
A police team, including Velmurugan, from the Kovilpalayam police station was on a routine vehicle check in the Vilankurichi area on Sunday when they intercepted a car with Karnataka registration.
When the police personnel attempted to inspect the sacks kept in the boot of the vehicle, the occupants suddenly pushed the cops aside and sped away. However, just as the car started moving, constable Velmurugan jumped onto the vehicle and clung to its roof. The car sped away on the Coimbatore-Salem National Highways towards Kaniyur toll plaza and was headed towards Avinashi.
Soon, the police from Kaniyur and Avinashi stations also joined the chase. After nearly 40 km, the car was finally surrounded by the police near the Thekkalur checkpoint. There, two of the occupants attempted to flee, but the police caught them.
Several motorists recorded the sight of the cop clinging precariously from the roof of the speeding car and shared it on social media.
A search of the car revealed the men were in the possession of around 170 kg of gutka and other tobacco products they had procured from Bengaluru. “Our team had received a tip-off that a car was carrying banned tobacco products, and we had been conducting vehicle checks from 3 am. Around 5 am, a car carrying three occupants arrived. After being intercepted, the car suddenly reversed at a high speed and was about to get away when I climbed onto its roof and held on,” said Velmurugan.
Minister for Backward Classes Welfare V Sampath Kumar and minister for Prohibition and Excise K Vignesh congratulated the policeman for his courageous act.