Rajasthan raid: Bullet accidentally fired by colleague killed Tamil Nadu cop, probe report

Periyapandian was shot during a raid to nab Nathuram (right)

Tamil Nadu police inspector S Periyapandian was killed by a bullet accidentally fired by his colleague during a raid on an abandoned building in Rajasthan’s Pali district, preliminary investigation has suggested. Pali SP Deepak Bhargav told The Indian Express that preliminary investigation proves that the bullet that killed Periyapandian was fired from the pistol of his colleague on the raid team, Munisekhar. “Preliminary evidence suggest that the bullet was fired from Munisekhar’s pistol accidentally amid a scuffle between thieves and the team of Tamil Nadu police. We are still waiting for forensic and ballistic reports to confirm this finding,” Bhargav said.

He said Nathuram, who was being pursued by Tamil Nadu police in connection with a loot of 3.5-kg gold from a pawn and jewellery shop in Kolathur, Chennai, may be arrested soon. “We have formed multiple teams to nab him.” After Periyapandian’s death, Rajasthan police arrested nine suspects who were allegedly in the building when it was raided by the Tamil Nadu police team in the early hours of Wednesday.

Bhargav said Nathuram has against him seven pending criminal cases, lodged in connection with fights and thefts. “He has a small group of associates,” he said. A senior Tamil Nadu police officer said the team left for Rajasthan in two batches — two inspectors took a flight on December 8 and four constables left on December 7. The team launched the search for Nathuram on December 9. “On December 9 and 10, they searched for Nathuram and his associates on the basis of tip-offs by his own relatives. But when they missed Nathuram in every raid they carried jointly with Rajasthan police, they decided to raid the abandoned structure without informing the local officials,” the officer said.

The officer said once the police team barged into the building, Nathuram and his associates started throwing stones and iron rods at them. “Amid this, two constables and Munisekhar who were already injured tried to withdraw from the spot. They found that Periyapandian was missing. They went back into the building. It was then that the misfire took place,” the officer said.

According to the officer, Inspector Munisekhar, an officer with about 20 years’ service, returned from Rajasthan on Saturday. He is being monitored by his family and colleagues as he is mentally shattered for a mistake that killed his colleague, the officer said.

On Nathuram, he added: “Nathuram has a peculiar style. Before each burglary, he hired a room near his target, start a textile shop there, run it for 10-15 days before carrying out the loot, mostly by drilling the wall or the roof of the target. He will then disappear for at least six months and return with another plan.” The officer added that Nathuram was arrested in 2014 in a robbery case and spent three months in Puzhal prison. He then got bail and disappeared, he said. According to the officer, it was a relative of Nathuram, already in the custody of Tamil Nadu police, who helped the police team with information about his whereabouts. This relative was with the police during the operation and was reportedly outside the building when the police team went in.