Attempt to kill a criminal with a crude bomb near Perambalur: 2 security personnel injured.

Tamil Nadu: On Saturday, two police officers were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment after an attempt was made to kill a notorious criminal by throwing a country-made bomb at him while he was being transported in a van to Puzhal Jail in Chennai, near Perambalur.

Kalimuthu alias Vellakali (30), son of Shanmugavel, a resident of Muthuramalinga Thevar Street, Kamarajapuram, Madurai, is a notorious criminal with several pending cases against him and has already been convicted in a criminal case and is currently incarcerated in Puzhal Jail, Chennai.

In this instance, Vellakali, who was produced before the Pudukkottai court on Friday evening in connection with a ganja case, was kept in the Dindigul branch jail overnight due to the late hour and for security reasons.

Subsequently, three armed policemen, led by Sub-Inspector Ramachandran (54), an officer from the Puducherry police station in Chennai, were transporting Vellakali from Dindigul jail to Puzhal Jail in Chennai in a police vehicle on Saturday.

On the Trichy-Chennai National Highway, near the Thirumandurai toll booth in Perambalur district, the police vehicle was parked in front of a restaurant, and Vellakali was sitting inside the restaurant with the police team led by the Sub-Inspector. At that moment, more than 15 unidentified persons, who were following the police vehicle in two cars, threw a country-made bomb at Vellakali with the intention of killing him.

Upon noticing this, Inspector Ramachandran fired at the gang that threw the bomb, following which the gang fled the scene.

Police constables Vignesh Kumar (37), son of Shanmugavel, a resident of Puliyangudi, Tenkasi district, and Maruthapandi (30), son of Krishnan, a resident of Vadipatti, Madurai, were seriously injured in the country-made bomb blast. Upon receiving the information, the Mangalmedu police arrived at the scene and sent the injured police officer and the assailant, Vellakali, to the Perambalur District Government Headquarters Hospital. The Mangalmedu police have also registered a case in connection with the incident.