CHENNAI: A team of the Pulianthope police on Wednesday shot A Saravanan (48) alias Bomb Saravanan in his leg after he allegedly attacked the police with a machete when they tried to arrest him.
He is currently undergoing treatment at the Government Stanley Hospital. The police said they recovered two country-made bombs, 5kg of ganja, a sickle, and a knife from him.
Saravanan, a history-sheeter and an A-category rowdy as per police records, was reportedly hiding in a godown at Vyasarpadi and tried to escape by attacking Inspector Ambedkar with a machete when the police surrounded him on Wednesday evening. He also tried hurling country-made bombs at the police, following which the police shot him after issuing a warning.
Police said that Saravanan was involved in more than 30 cases, including six murders, and has been absconding for six years. Saravanan’s elder brother Thennarasu, a BSP functionary in north Chennai, was murdered in 2015.
In a release, the police said Saravanan had confessed to another murder that took place in 2018. In 2019, after a non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against him in a murder case, he surrendered in court. He then came out on bail and went absconding. There are two NBWs pending against him, the police said.
Speaking to reporters, Saravanan’s wife Mahalakshmi, a lawyer, claimed that there were no new cases against Saravanan in the last 15 years and questioned why the police had to resort to such action.