DINDIGUL: A day after being shot at by an 80-year-old man in a land dispute in Palani, P Subramani, 60, died of injuries at the government Rajaji hospital in Madurai on Tuesday without responding to treatment. The victim had suffered injuries to his abdomen when theatre owner S Natarajan fired at him, and the bullet was removed by surgeons in a two-hour operation. According to doctors, Subramani died due to blood loss and damage to internal organs caused by bullet injury. Following the death, section 307 (attempt to murder) case registered against Natarajan was changed to 302 (punishment for murder). He was also booked under 294 (b) using obscene words and 27 (1) of the Arms Act and remanded to judicial custody.
‘Purchased firearm 40 years ago’
According to a police officer, the .32 caliber licensed revolver used by Natarajan was US-made and purchased 40 years ago.
M Palanisamy, 74, who also took a bullet in his waist, was stable after it was removed at the Palani government hospital. A police officer said that Subramani was the first to be shot at. He was clad in saffron dhoti and white shirt in the shooting video, which went viral in social media. It was a dispute over 12 cents of land in Palani town between Natarajan and Ilangovan, a farmer, that took a violent turn on Monday.
A lower court order had favoured Ilangovan following which he started clearing the land along with his relatives. Incensed at this, Natarajan, who had appealed against the order in a higher court, picked up a quarrel before opening fire. He fired three rounds, of which the first one did not hit anyone, but the other two hit Subramani and Palanisamy. The firearm along with the remaining two live bullets was seized. Police have also collected empty casings from the spot.