Two history-sheeters were gunned down by a special team of the Avadi City Police near Sholavaram in the early hours of Thursday. In a separate incident, another history-sheeter was injured after the Chengalpattu police shot at him when he reportedly tried to escape at Chithamur.
To get today’s top stories from the State in your inbox, subscribe to our Tamil Nadu Today newsletter
Police sources said the deceased were identified as Muthu Saravanan, 27, of Edapalayam, and ‘Sunday’ Sathish, of Gnayiru near Red Hills. Both were involved in murders and attempts-to-murder in the city and suburbs. The police said Muthu Saravanan and Sathish were the main suspects in the murder of AIADMK functionary Parthiban by a gang at Red Hills on August 17 this year.
They had been at large since then. Four other accused persons had already been arrested. In the early hours of Thursday, a special team of police, led by Assistant Commissioner P. Jawahar, reached the spot following information that they were hiding at a dilapidated house at Marambedu Kandigai on Minjur-Vandalur Outer Ring Road in the Sholavaram police limits. When the team approached the duo, they opened fire. In retaliation and self-defence, the police returned the fire.
The two were critically injured and rushed to a government hospital where the doctors declared them dead on arrival, the police said. At the scene of occurrence that was cordoned off, there were remnants of the earlier face-off — a weapon, footwear and blood splattered on the ground. Avadi City Police Commissioner K. Shankar visited the scene and held an inquiry with the officers concerned.
Later talking to reporters. Mr. Shankar said, “A special team was formed to trace the two suspects. Muthu Saravanan and Sathish were hiding after they were involved in the murder of Parthiban. Following receipt of information about where the duo was holed up, the special team proceeded to arrest them. The police claimed that the suspects had two pistols and fired with them. Three police personnel were injured in the firing. In retaliation, the police opened fire at the suspects.., who were seriously injured.”
Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal and Avadi City Police Commissioner K. Shankar enquire about the health condition of the injured policeman at the Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai on October 12, 2023 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Our action against rowdies will be stringent. ...We will control rowdyism with an iron hand...,” Mr. Shankar said. The bodies of the deceased were sent to Government Stanley Hospital for post-mortem. A judicial magistrate inquiry was being held into the police firing. The three injured policemen — Krishnamurthy, Rajesh and Prabu — were taken to Government Stanley Hospital. DGP Shankar Jiwal, along with Mr. Shankar, visited them injured police personnel at the hospital.
Meanwhile, a video of the parents of Muthu Saravanan appealing to the Chief Minister and police officers to save their son, who they said had been picked up by the police, surfaced on social media on Wednesday night. The police said Muthu Saravanan had six murder cases pending against him, including the murder of Parthiban and of DMK functionary C. Selvam in February 2022 at Madipakkam; two attempts to murder; and eight cases of robbery. He was involved in extortion in Chennai city and suburbs. His close associate Sathish, 24, was involved in five murders, four attempts to murder and four robberies.
Another shoot-out
The Chengalpattu district police shot at a history-sheeter when he tried to escape from police custody at Chithamur in the early hours. The injured was identified as Thanika alias Thanikachalam, 36, of Periyapalayam, who had 17 criminal cases pending against him. The police were searching for him as he was wanted in a murder case at Chithamur. While he was taken in a vehicle to the Chithamur police station after being arrested at midnight, he attacked the police and tried to escape from the vehicle. Then, inspector Pugazh shot him at the knee and the hand. Thanikachalam was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
