Key Suspect in TN Police Officer's Murder Killed in Police Encounter

Chennai, March 29 (NationPress) In yet another controversial police encounter in Tamil Nadu, the primary suspect in the murder of a police officer has been shot dead by law enforcement officials.

The deceased officer, Muthukumaran (40), was a first-level constable from Kallapatti and served as the driver for the Usilampatti police inspector.

On March 27, after finishing his shift, Muthukumaran visited a TASMAC liquor store in Muthaiyanpatti. Inside the outlet, he encountered Ponvannan, a known drug dealer, who was consuming alcohol. A fierce argument reportedly ensued after Muthukumaran advised Ponvannan to cease his drug dealings.

Later, as Muthukumaran left the shop with Rajaram, a local resident, and headed towards a nearby garden, he was unexpectedly attacked from behind by a group of unidentified individuals who threw stones at him, resulting in fatal head injuries. He died instantly. Rajaram also suffered injuries in the attack and is currently receiving treatment at the Usilampatti Government Hospital.

Following an initial investigation, authorities identified Ponvannan as the main suspect in the murder. A special task force was formed to locate him. Intelligence reports later indicated that Ponvannan was hiding in the forested area near Kambar.

As police attempted to apprehend him, Ponvannan allegedly launched an attack. In response, Usilampatti Town Inspector Anandhan fired shots, leading to Ponvannan’s death.

It's worth noting that just a day before this incident, on March 28, Muthukumaran’s family staged a road blockade near the Usilampatti Government Hospital, refusing to accept his body until the suspect was arrested. Senior police officials promised the family that the perpetrator would be caught swiftly and deployed six special teams to apprehend Ponvannan.

The grieving family has also appealed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for financial compensation and a government job for one of Muthukumaran’s relatives. This incident follows another police encounter that occurred earlier this week.

On March 26, Jaffer Gulam Hussain (28), a suspect in chain-snatching, was shot dead by police near the Taramani railway station in Chennai. According to police sources, Jaffer, originally from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested a day earlier along with his accomplice Suraj at Chennai Airport while attempting to flee to New Delhi. The pair was allegedly involved in numerous chain-snatching incidents across the city.

Police reportedly took Jaffer to Taramani to recover stolen jewelry. During this operation, he allegedly attacked Inspector Buhari and tried to escape. The police then shot him dead on the spot. Jaffer was also wanted by the Maharashtra Police since 2020 for involvement in nearly 50 chain-snatching cases.

Critics claim that the term “encounter” is often a euphemism for extrajudicial killings, softening public perception of what could be seen as “calculated police murder.” For decades, the Tamil Nadu Police have allegedly enjoyed a degree of impunity and immunity from accountability under various political administrations.

Since the DMK government took office in May 2021, over 16 such encounter killings have been reported in the state. In a landmark ruling in the PUCL vs State of Maharashtra case in 2014, the Supreme Court mandated that each police encounter must be recorded as a separate FIR and investigated by an independent agency to ensure transparency and accountability.

Further emphasizing this perspective, on September 27, 2023, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras High Court expressed concern over a “worrying trend” in Tamil Nadu regarding the increasing number of alleged criminals being shot dead or injured during police operations, and the suspicious frequency of accused individuals “falling” and sustaining fractures during arrests. These recent events have reignited the debate over policing methods in the state and the urgent need for judicial oversight in encounter cases.