Chennai SI shoots at son-in-law
The accused, Sankarapandian, is a personal security officer with a senior judicial officer in the city
Chennai: A serving sub inspector with city police opened fire at his estranged son-in-law in full public view on St Mary’s Road in Mandaveli at 9 pm on Monday after an argument. The injured man was seen bleeding from his abdomen. However, the gravity of the injury is not clear yet, police said adding that he was shot at four times. The accused, Sankarapandian, is a personal security officer with a senior judicial officer in the city.
According to eyewitness, Sankarapandian clad in a safari suit was seen arguing with a girl at Devanadhan street- St Mary’s road junction. The girl was later identified as his daughter. Police said that his daughter married against her father’s wishes a year ago. The injured, M.Rajasekar (28) works as a finance assistant with a leading newspaper. Rajasekar was seen following the two of them pleading the SI to let go of his wife as Sankarapandian paced swiftly ahead with his daughter in tow.
The duel escalates and when the trio reached near the Mosque street, Sankarapandian pulled out his 9 mm service pistol and opened fire four times at Rajasekar. “I heard him arguing with the daughter asking her to come with him. The next thing I heard is a gun shot,” said M.Meenakshi who stays at an apartment and witnessed the man shouting at the daughter.
Within a few minutes, locals rushed to the scene and a eatery owner, Marina Durai, pulled the pistol from the SI’s hand. Mylapore police rushed to the scene and Rajasekar was moved to Government Royapettah hospital. Police have secured three bullet shells from the scene.
“When we pinned him down, he retorted saying that he was a SI and later claimed to be an Armyman,” Meenakshi added. Sankarapandian has been taken into custody. Rajasekar has been moved to a private hospital and is said to be in a critical condition, according to hospital sources.
Meanwhile, tense moments prevailed on the road as public staged a road roko condemning trigger happy police. “How dare he opens fire in a public place. What if the bullet had hit someone else,” said Soundarya, a local.