Accused in TN Special SI murder case shot dead in encounter; two others surrender
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Chennai: In a major breakthrough in the murder of Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) Shanmugavel, Tamil Nadu Police on Thursday shot dead one of the accused, Manikandan, during an encounter. Two other suspects, Moorthy and his younger son Thangapandi, had earlier surrendered to police.
Manikandan, the third accused in the case, was killed on the spot after he allegedly attacked police personnel attempting to arrest him. According to police sources, a special team located him at a hideout following a statewide manhunt. During the operation, he reportedly charged at Assistant Inspector Saravanan with a weapon, prompting the officer to open fire in self-defense.
His body has been sent for post-mortem, and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered as per protocol.
The case stems from the brutal killing of SSI Shanmugavel, who was hacked to death on the night of August 5 while responding to a distress call in a coconut grove at Chikkanoothu village near Madathukulam in Tiruppur district. The grove is reportedly owned by AIADMK MLA Mahendran, and the accused were working there as estate labourers.
Police said the officer was responding to a family dispute on the premises when he was attacked with a billhook by a father-son duo. He died on the spot. His colleague, an armed reserve constable, managed to escape and alert other personnel.
Tamil Nadu Police had formed six special teams to track down the suspects. On Wednesday, Moorthy and Thangapandi surrendered at the office of the Tiruppur District Superintendent of Police and are currently being interrogated.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin earlier condemned the killing, calling it an irreparable loss to the police force. He announced a solatium of Rs 1 crore for the officer's family and assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible.
The murder has sparked widespread outrage across the state and prompted a swift and high-level police response.
