The Kulithalai Police has arrested four persons, all hailing from Kerala, after one of them opened fire using a country-made pistol following a wordy quarrel between two groups of people over sale of a sand boa at Kulithalai in Karur district on Sunday. One person sustained injury in the incident.
According to police, Nitish of Kerala had paid ₹10 lakh to Raja of Kulithalai a month ago after the latter promised to get him a sand boa. As Raja failed to keep his word, Nitish along with his Kerala friends Mohamed Rafique, Anu alias Vivek, Nitin and Subhash came to Kulithalai in a car on Sunday night.
Upon reaching Kulithai, they made a call to Raja’s friend Thangavel and Kanjanayakar alias Rangasamy asking for a sand boa. Thangavel and Kanjanayakar told the group from Kerala that they had in their possession a sand boa and asked them to come to a particular spot where they showed the reptile.
As Thangavel and Kanjanayakar demanded money for the sand boa, the group from Kerala told them that they had already paid the money to Raja and refused to give any more money resulting in a wordy duel between them.
The verbal tiff soon took a turn for the worse and Mohamed Rafi pulled out a country-made pistol which was in the possession of Subhash and opened fire at Thangavel causing injury on his left shoulder. Thangavel is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Tiruchi.
As both parties tried to escape, they dropped the country gun at the spot. On hearing the gun shot, the locals alerted the police.
Barring Subhash, who is absconding, the police arrested the persons from Kerala, a police press release said. A case has been booked at Kulithalai police station under the Indian Arms Act, 1959 as well. Further investigation is on, the release added.
