COIMBATORE: A police constable, injured in gunfire from his own rifle on Friday evening in Coimbatore, died at a private hospital early on Saturday.The deceased, R Kalimuthu (29), attached to the Coimbatore City Armed Reserve Battalion II police, was in service since 2013. A case of attempt to commit suicide booked under section 309 of the IPC by the Race Course Police was later changed to section 174 (accidental fire) of CrPC.
Kalimuthu, a native of Melathulukkankulam village in Virudhunagar district, was deployed for guard duty at the police stall of a government exhibition held in Gandhipuram in the city. According to sources, around 3.40pm on Friday, when he was alone at the stall, a bullet from his SLR pierced his right abdomen and exited through the back. He was admitted to a private hospital. His body was then shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem, police said.
Kalimuthu had borrowed around Rs 20 lakh and lost it in online gambling. Meanwhile, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss questioned the State government for not bringing an ordinance to ban online gambling even after the expert committee submitted its report. Former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami too questioned the government over the delay.