CHENNAI: A 49-year-old history-sheeter was shot dead by the Chennai police on Friday. Police said they opened fire when the accused attacked a constable with a machete. The deceased, Shankar alias ‘Market’ Shankar, had three murder cases and several criminal cases pending against him.
Earlier this month, Shankar had been booked for allegedly assaulting a supermarket owner in Anna Nagar, who is said to be a political party functionary. Since then, Shankar was absconding, police said. JCP (East), R Sudhakar, said, “On Thursday night, the Ayanavaram police nabbed one Dilip Kumar, who had four kg of ganja on him. His mother Rani, also a peddler, was picked up, who led the cops to Shankar.”
The police arrested him from a hideout early on Friday.
Shankar, sources said, confessed to his crime and promised to take them to the place where he had hidden the ganja smuggled from Andhra Pradesh. On reaching an isolated ground filled with construction debris near the Ayanavaram RTO at 7 am, he picked up a hidden weapon and attacked the police.
“When he attacked constable Mubarak, Inspector Natarajan had to open fire. He shot at Shankar on the stomach. But, when Shankar slashed Mubarak’s hand, Natarajan fired two rounds, which hit him in the chest,” Additional Commissioner of Police (South) R Dhinakaran said. A judicial magistrate probe is on.