In Chennai and its sorroundings, a long tale of police encounters: 14 deaths, 10 encounters since 2019

From 2019 onwards, Chennai and its surrounding areas witnessed 10 encounter-deaths by police, involving 14 men, including history-sheeters

From 2019 onwards, the city and its surrounding areas witnessed 10 encounter-deaths by police. involving 14 men, including history-sheeters. 

On June 15, 2019, S. Vallarasu, 21, of Vysarpadi was gunned down by the police in Madhavaram. The police said he was a notorious history-sheeter and they were forced to shoot him because he had injured at least three police personnel. Vallarasu is said to have been involved in cases of murder, attempt to murder and other criminal activities. The previous night, a resident of M.M. Garden, Vyasarpadi, called the police to complain that a few youth were causing a ruckus in the area. Two constables, S.Paunraj and Ramesh, went to the spot. They found Vallarasu drinking with his associates. On seeing the police, he whipped out a long knife and attacked Mr. Paunraj, and made good his escape. Special teams were constituted to trace him. Police teams went in search of Vallarasu. He was traced to a truck terminal near the Madhavaram bus stand. There he attacked two sub inspectors, Premkumar and Deepan, of the Vyasarpadi station. Sources said the police were left with little choice but to open fire at him. 

On August, 21, 2020, the city police gunned down a 48 year-old history-sheeter, Shankar, when he allegedly attacked a police constable with a knife on New Avadi Road. Shankar had been detained under the Goondas Act on nine occasions. He was acquitted in a few cases. He had been involved in the attack on a Congress functionary and the owner of a supermarket. The previous night, Ayanavaram Police Inspector had detained Shankar in connection with cases related to murder and  possession of ganja. At 6.30 a.m., he was taken to recover contraband, which was concealed in the debris dumped on a vacant plot near the Ayanavaram RTO on New Avadi Road. At the time, he allegedly whipped a knife from the place and allegedly attacked the police. 

On October 10, 2021, a 28-year-old robbery suspect who was roaming with a weapon was shot dead in an encounter with police in Mevalurkuppam village near Sriperumbudur. The victim Murthaza, 28, a robbery suspect from Jharkhand was staying in a nearby village. He along with another associate allegedly indulged in at least three snatchings in Sriperumbudur previous night. The duo allegedly attacked a 55-year-old woman who was walking towards a bus stand and robbed her chain despite her resistance. On hearing her cries, the villagers launched a search to nab the duo who hid in a lake surrounded by forest area with thick bushes. Police also joined them and secured a suspect named Naem Akthar, 39, and another suspect was found in touch with him. A team went inside the adjoining area of a lake and the suspect Murthaza attacked one of our head constables using a knife. When the suspect went for a second attack, the inspector of the team opened fire on him in retaliation. The two men had been involved in the stabbing of a Tasmac staff member in the previous week. 

Two history-sheeters, who were reportedly involved in a double murder, were gunned down by the police near Mamandur in Chengalpattu district on January 7, 2022.  The dead were identified as Deena alias Dinesh, 24, and Biscuit alias Mohammed Moideen, 20, of Chengalpattu. Deena and Moideen were part of a six-member armed gang which murdered two rowdies — Appu alias Karthik, 30, of K.K. Street and Mahesh, 24, of Mettu Street — in the previous night in Chengalpattu. When a special team of police which went in search of him tried to round up thesuspects at a forest adjoining the Palar at Irunkundrampalli, they threw bombs and attacked it with knives. An inspector opened fire in self-defence, said police. 

At around 3 a.m. on August 1, 2023, police personnel who were conducting the checks on Karanai-Puducherry-Arungal Salai attempted to stop a speeding car. It came to a halt after bumping into a stationary police jeep. When police personnel tried to nab them, they attempted to use weapons.  Police said the situation forced them to open fire on them. Vinodh alias Chotta Vinodh, 35, and Ramesh, 32, were shot dead by the police. Vinoth had a history-sheet on him at the Otteri police station and was an A+ category history-sheeter. He was involved in more than 50 offences — 10 murders, 15 attempt-to-murder cases, 10 robberies and 15 assault and extortion cases. Ramesh was an ‘A’ category history-sheeter at the Otteri station, and had more  than 20 criminal cases pending against him. 

On September 16, 2023, a 34-year-old history-sheeter namely A. Viswanathan alias ‘Kulla’ Vishwa was gunned down by the police on Saturday at Sogandy village near Sunguvarchatram as he allegedly tried to escape after attacking a police team that went to nab him in connection with a criminal case.  He was from Kiloy village in Sriperumbudur taluk and was categorised as an A+ criminal in police records and had at least 25 cases for offences, including murders and attempt to murder, pending against him in Sriperumbudur, Oragadam, Sunguvarchatram and surrounding areas  The police said he had indulged in extortion from the scrap businessmen and used to hold kangaroo courts in and around Sriperumbudur.