Chennai: The city police in an early morning operation on Saturday gunned down a 20-year-old history-sheeter and a murder suspect behind the bus terminus in Madhavaram. The deceased was previously involved in a murder case, attempt to murder cases, robberies and chain snatching cases.
Police said they opened fire after the rowdy, Vallarasan (20), attacked a constable and two SIs with a machete. Vallarasan was involved in five cases against him. He was just 17 years old when he was accused of a murder case in the city, police said.
Sources said the police had received information that the gang was going to carry out a murder and that they were roaming in M M Garden, Madhavaram, with a machete. When Vyasarpadi police constables Pounraj and Ramesh went to arrest the rowdies Vallarasu is said to have attacked Pounraj with a machete. A grievously injured Pounraj was admitted to the Stanley hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, police received information that the rowdy was hiding near Madhavaram mofussil bus terminus. Subsequently, at 4.30 am, Vallarasan was rounded up at the hideout along with his associates Kathiravan and Karthik. When inspectors Miller and Ravi led a team of policemen to arrest him, the rowdy attacked sub inspectors Premkumar and Deepan with his machete.
As Vallarasan tried to flee the spot, the police chased him and opened fire and shot him on his legs and chest. He suffered injuries and was rushed to Government Stanley Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. His body will be handed over to his family after an autopsy on Saturday. Subsequently, his partners Vyasarpadi Kathiravan and Perambur Karthik were arrested.
Sources said the injured constable Pounraj was shifted to a private hospital in the city and required 20 sutures and the other two policemen were undergoing treatment in Stanley government hospital. Chennai city police commissioner A. K. Viswanathan visited hospitals and enquired about the health of the injured personnel on Saturday. Meanwhile, Swamikannu, father of the accused, accused the police of planting fake cases on Vallarasan and shooting him down. He said he will file a complaint against the police.
Also, Ponneri magistrate Vijayalakshmi ordered a probe into the encounter. The last encounter that took place in Chennai was on July 3, 2018, when a 24-year-old history-sheeter, Anandan, was gunned down by the city police at Taramani.
