TIRUVANNAMALAI: Collector K S Kandasamy had a narrow escape from an attack bid by a three-member gang in broad daylight on Friday. The trio was subsequently arrested and placed under preventive custody since the collector did not lodge any complaint. Chilli powder, knives and a stolen two-wheeler were recovered from them.
On Friday around 2.00 pm, Kandasamy had walked out from the Collectorate along with his personal clerk and assistant, and proceeded towards the collector’s bungalow for lunch. As they were about to enter the bungalow, three persons on a two-wheeler intercepted the collector and pushed him onto the ground. The personal clerk and assistant raised an alarm at once. Police personnel in the bungalow campus rushed to the spot and caught the trio. Chill powder, knives and a two-wheeler, with a fake registration number, were seized from them. The Collector did not sustain any injury in the incident.
The trio who were found to be inebriated was taken to Tiruvannamalai East police station.
The miscreants were identified as Manikandan (30), a native of Tiruporur, Siva (28) and Santhosh (27) from Kandigaii village near Kancheeppuram. They told police that they were working in a private company in Chennai. On Thursday they had arrived at Villupuram to attend a relative’s marriage. On the same day, they reached Tiruvannamalai to meet their relatives.
The miscreants claimed that, in Tiruvannamalai, they had developed a quarrel with another person in a Tasmac bar and, in an inebriated condition, had decided to kill him. Since their target also wore a blue shirt, they claimed that they erroneously tried to attack the collector as he too wore the same colour shirt, said sources.
Police sources said they did not buy the trio’s explanation as they had crossed the Collector bungalow’s entrance gate with knives and chilli powder. However, since the Collector did not lodge any complaint, the trio was booked under 7(1) of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act as a preventive measure and had been remanded in judicial custody.
“An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and the trio’s background details are being verified. If they are found to be involved in any other crimes, they will be subsequently booked,” said a senior police officer.