A police constable on security duty at the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam near Mayiladuthurai was arrested after he opened fire using his service pistol, injuring two persons below the knee, on Sunday night following a quarrel at a marketplace in the village.

The constable, Jethanraja, attached to the Armed Reserve unit of Nagapattinam, had reportedly opened fire in anger when his prolonged presence at a shop run by a woman at the marketplace was questioned by a bystander, Mathi. Jethanraja had also fired at the village headman Selvaraj, and later fired in the air when he was surrounded by the locals, police said.

Incensed by the act of the police constable, a group of locals set his two-wheeler on fire. On information, the Kuttalam police arrived at the spot and arrested the constable. A case has been registered against him under Sec.307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and provisions of the Arms Act.

The Kuttalam police immediately arranged for the treatment of the two injured persons at the Mayiladuthurai Government Hospital. They were subsequently shifted to the Tiruvarur Government Medical College Hospital.

While the constable had reportedly told his superiors that he had to open fire as the two persons had attempted to attack him with logs in an inebriated state, local residents, during inquiry, told the police that the constable was not in uniform at the time of the incident and had behaved with the public in an intimidating way.

“The constable ought to have exercised restraint. It was wrong on his part to have opened fire. An argument with drunken persons does not warrant shooting with a gun. Hence, a case was registered against the constable and he was arrested. The constable will also face departmental action,” said C. Vijaya Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Nagapattinam district.