MADURAI
A Sub-Inspector of Police, C. Sivaramakrishnan, attached to Teppakulam police station here, opened fire in the air after an armed gang attempted to attack a police team on night rounds on South Bank Road on Saturday.
The police said that the team, comprising Mr. Sivaramakrishnan, another SI, Karthik, and a constable, Anbu, during night rounds went to Thumatti Rengasamy Iyer Lane. When they noticed a few persons sitting in an autorickshaw, the police personnel asked them what they were doing there in odd hours.
One of the occupants of the auto, who was later identified as Palani Bharati, suddenly pulled out a sharp-edged weapon, and attempted to escape. Mr. Anbu gave a hot chase, but could not catch hold of Palani Bharati.
When he returned to the spot, two of the gang members attempted to throw stones at the police team. When the constable tried to nab them, one of them, Ramesh, held him by his shirt and pushed him down.
Realising the danger, Mr. Sivaramakrishnan shot one round in the air from his service pistol. Later, the police nabbed five persons. They let off three of them after an inquiry, and arrested two, who were identified as Rajaganesh, an accused in a murder case, and Ramesh.
They have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code for using abusive language, criminal intimidation and preventing police officials from discharging their duties.
A police officer said that the police had to open fire in self-defence, as in a similar incident reported a few months back near south Vaigai bank, an armed gang hacked a Special Sub-Inspector of Police, Selvaraj, attached to Vilakkuthoon police station.