Mayiladuthurai: Cop goes berserk at bazaar in Thiruvavaduthurai, suspended

Mayiladuthurai: Police arrested a 28-year-old armed reserve police constable attached to the Nagapattinam district armed police wing for causing injuries to three persons for allegedly opening fire from his service revolver and also caused a tense situation at Thiruvavaduthurai near here on Sunday night.

Police said the arrested constable Jagenraja who was posted as personal security officer to the 24th Gurumaha Sannidhanam Ambalavana Desikar of the Saivaite mutt, ‘Thiruvavaduthurai Atheenam’ came to the bazaar street there in ‘mufti’ around 10 pm and chatted with a woman who runs a small shop, which was objected to by the locals.

A 47-year-old Mathi, a mason who attempted to record this in his mobile phone, angered the constable who snatched away the mobile phone from Mathi. When he asked the police constable to return his mobile phone, the constable opened fire at his left leg and Mathi fell on the floor.

When this was questioned by the Naattanmai Selvaraj, the police constable attacked Selvaraj with the gun besides causing injuries to him. He also opened fire directed at his left foot and the constable also attacked another person, Mathivanan (46) with his gun in which the latter was also injured.

Hearing of the incident, a large number of locals assembled there, and on seeing the crowd, the constable warned them and opened fire in the air and fled after leaving his two-wheeler. Angry locals set fire to the constable’s two-wheeler. The injured were admitted to Government medical college hospital Tiruvarur, police said. Kuthalam police rushed to the spot and arrested the constable from a hideout and remanded him to judicial custody on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Nagapattinam district SP, Vijayakumar, suspended the errant police constable.