Attacked by fleeing prisoner, cop opens fire

CHENNAI: A 25-year-old murder accused who assaulted a police inspector and tried to flee was fired at by the inspector near Chengalpet, about 55km from Chennai, on Friday morning. Both are undergoing treatment at the Chengalpet government hospital.
Around 7.30am, Chengalpet taluk inspector M S Baskar and his team cornered L Charles, who had recently been released from jail on bail, at his house in Natham village near Chengalpet following information that he was planning to carry out a dacoity in the area with his associates.
“We surrounded the house and nabbed him as he tried to flee on spotting us,” an investigation officer said.
The police frisked him and inspected his house but didn’t find any weapons there. During questioning, Charles said the weapons had been dumped at a secluded place at Pazhaveli near Chengalpet.
Based on this statement, Charles was taken to the police vehicle. Inspector Baskar, sub-inspector Sankar and three other policemen climbed in and drove to the place where Charles said the weapons were hidden. Once they arrived there, the murder accused diverted the attention of police and tried to run away.
Inspector Baskar gave chase when Charles pounced on him with a sickle and slashed his hand. Though injured, Baskar managed to pull out his revolver and open fire at Charles, injuring him in the thigh. As he collapsed at the spot, the other police personnel nabbed him.
On receiving information, Kancheepuram superintendent of police S Manoharan and other senior officers visited the place. Baskar and Charles were admitted to the government hospital in Chengalpet where their condition, according to doctors, is stable. The Chengalpet town police registered a case and arrested Charles on charges of attempt to murder a police personnel discharging his duty.
Police said Charles had been involved in the murder of Suresh, a member of the DMDK, early this year in Chengalpet. Charles was named in the first information report (FIR) as the first accused.