A courageous action taken by a head constable attached to the Tirunelveli City Traffic Wing saved a youth from armed assailants on a busy road here on Thursday.
When head constable Antony Muthu was regulating vehicular movement near the traffic signal at Ambasamudram Road – South Bypass Road Junction on Thursday afternoon, a frightened youth jumped out of a bus, proceeding from Tirunelveli to Kovilpatti, even as it was waiting for signal. He ran for safety as three armed youth chased him.
Sensing the situation, Antony Muthu daringly intercepted one of the assailants carrying a machete and overpowered him. On seeing their associate being overpowered by the policeman, the remaining two managed to escape after inflicting a small cut injury on the youth.
During interrogation, police found that the youth, identified as I. Vinodh, 23, of Sattur, was arrested by the Thaazhaiyooththu police along with his friend Joshua, 39, and one Poornavalli, 50 of Thaazhaiyooththu for allegedly cheating one Anusuya, 23, a graduate from Paappaankulam near Gangaikondan in the guise of getting her employment. They had taken 10 sovereigns of gold ornaments from her.
When she asked Joshua and Vinodh to return the gold ornaments, worth about ₹2.50 lakh, they allegedly refused and threatened her. Upset over this, Anusuya reportedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train two years ago.
Meanwhile, the police arrested Vinodh and Joshua in connection with the suicide and Vinodh was enlarged on bail subsequently.
When Vinodh was returning home in the bus on Thursday afternoon after appearing before the court here in connection with the case, Anusuya’s brother Navaneethakrishnan, 27, and two others attempted to murder him. However, Mr. Antony Muthu thwarted the attempt and handed one of assailants to the Melapalayam police with the weapon.
Appreciating the head constable’s valour, Commissioner of Police N. Bhaskaran congratulated him with a cash award on Thursday night in his chamber.
