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A 18-year-old with multiple alleged criminal cases against him was shot and injured by a police officer in the early hours of Tuesday, 29 July, near Pappakudi in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The incident occurred after he and another 17-year-old boy allegedly attacked a Scheduled Caste (SC) youth and later attempted to assault police officers who responded to the scene.
According to the Tirunelveli police, the two teens abducted and assaulted 23-year-old Sakthikumar, a native of Samathuvapuram, from Rasthavoor. Sakthikumar was allegedly attacked for informing the police about the duo’s criminal activities. The duo belong to the dominant Thevar caste and have a history of criminal cases registered against them, including for murder, petrol bomb attacks, and caste-based violence.
In a statement, police said the duo took Sakthikumar to a pond near Rasthavoor and attacked him with a sickle, causing serious injuries to his leg. However, Sakthikumar managed to escape and hid inside a nearby house. Meanwhile, the armed teens began searching the area for him.
Residents alerted a police patrol team. When officers tried to intervene, the teens allegedly attacked Ranjith, a constable with the Tamil Nadu Special Police, who sustained a leg injury during the confrontation.
Sub-Inspector Murugan from Pappakudi police station, who arrived shortly after, was also allegedly assaulted. Police said Murugan ran into a nearby house, where a woman and her son were present. As the armed duo tried to break the door down to reach him, Murugan reportedly opened fire in self-defence to protect himself and the residents.
The 18-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. He was later located and taken to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital, where his condition is said to be stable. SI Murugan, constable Ranjith, and Sakthikumar were also admitted to hospital and are recovering. The 17-year-old has been taken into custody, police said.
Two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered, one for the assault on Sakthikumar and another for the attack on the police. They have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to attempted murder and obstructing police officers from performing their duties, as well as under sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police Silambarasan visited the location and ordered an inquiry into the incident. Additional police forces have been deployed in Pappakudi, and further investigation is ongoing.