CHENNAI: A city police on Tuesday shot dead a 28-year-old man who was arrested for hacking a police constable.
Police officers said they acted in self-defence when Anandan picked up a knife and attacked a police sub-inspector near the Central Polytechnic College campus at Taramani. Anandan suffered a bullet injury on his chest and sources said it was Assistant Commissioner Sudarshan who fired the shot on seeing Anandan attacking sub-inspector S Ilayaraja.
The deceased Anandan was one of the four accused arrested in connection with the assault on constable Rajavel, when he was trying to intervene in a clash between two groups at Royapettah on Monday. Rajavel had suffered 16 cut injuries on head.
Police said one of the arrested persons Aravindan led them to a place at Sholinganallur where four more accused were hiding.
"Anandan was one of the four arrested today. He claimed that constable Rajavel's walkie-talkie (which was lost during Monday's assault) was kept near the Central Polytechnic College at Taramani and hence the police team took him there around 8.30 pm. In the spot, he managed to free himself and picked up a knife and attacked sub inspector Ilayaraja. So assistant commissioner Sudarshan had to fire at him," said a senior
police officer.
The spot where the police claimed they shot Anandan dead was a deserted area surrounded by campus of various educational institutions. As hardly any public movement is there in the area, police said no members of the public witnessed the incident.
A police officer at the spot said, "The police team was asking him to surrender. But he refused and also did not drop the knife he was carrying. So the police have to fire at him."
Anandan was a resident of Ice House. One of his friends who reached the Royapettah Government Hospital, where the body was kept, said he was working as a plumber.
"He has two children, a boy aged 5 and a girl aged 4," he said. They all believe Anandan was not someone who would go to the extent of wielding a sickle and assault someone so severely.
"He was part of the group when the police constable was assaulted on Monday. But he had told friends that he did not assault the constable," the friend said. Police had already informed Anandan's family members to inform them if he comes home.
Police said Anadan had many criminal cases pending against him.