In a shocking and well-planned attack in broad daylight, a 10-15 member gang killed notorious rowdy Jegan in a police van on the Puducherry-Cuddalore road on Friday and fled the spot.
The gangster’s head was blown to bits by a country bomb that hit his face, according to the probe officer. Five policemen, including a Sub-Inspector and the driver of the vehicle sustained injuries.
The assailants, suspected to be from a rival group, had hurled several country-made explosives at the police vehicle that was taking Jegan — who was serving a life term, besides being accused in several other cases — from a Puducherry court to the Karaikal Sub Jail.
The incident took place around 4 pm on the Chunamber river bridge. The gang members, on motorcycles and an Innova car, created a traffic jam on the bridge by hurling explosives. Following the commotion, a bus that was in front of the police van stopped.
Consequently, the vehicle ferrying Jegan had to stop. The Innova car and the assailants’ bikes in the rear blocked the van’s attempts to reverse and wriggle out. The assailants threw country bombs at the van as police opened fire in retaliation.
As smoke from the explosives and police firing engulfed the scene, the attackers sped towards Cuddalore in their getaway vehicles.