Cop arrested for break-in attempt

Chennai: A traffic constable attached to the city police was arrested for attempting to break-into a locked house in Muthapudupet near Avadi during the early hours of Wednesday.

The constable was identified as Subramani (31), a Thoothukudi native attached to the traffic enforcement wing of Ambattur. Police sources said he was caught red handed by a patrol team when he was found scaling a wall and attempting to pick a lock.

Subramani was caught in an inebriated condition. He initially maintained that he was a cop and was just checking into locked houses in the locality in his line of duty. Muthapudupet cops, who failed to buy his theory, checked with their counterparts and found that Subramani was indeed a cop and had not reported to duty for the past one month.

“The constable is an alcoholic and had reached the final stage of alcoholism (addiction). He is a chronic deserter and usually never turns up for duty,” according to a senior traffic police official.

Police sources said that a senior officer reinstated him to duty a month ago on grounds of mercy.

However, he stopped reporting for duty after two days until he was caught attempting to break into a house in the Avadi suburb.

Muthapudupet police have registered a case against him. The traffic cop was remanded in prison after produced before a magistrate in Poonamalee. Police are also investigating if the cop is involved in any other burglary and theft cases in the city.

“His fingerprints have been sent to the State Crime Records Bureau (SC RB) to see if they match with any of those lifted from crime scenes in the city,” a police official said.