A 40-year-old man, known to have been involved in multiple cases of theft in neighbouring Kerala, was injured after the police opened fire on him and his two accomplices when they were attempting to loot at a Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) liquor outlet in Kunthalady, near Pandalur, early on Friday.
The accused, who was apprehended by the police, was identified as Bijeesh alias Sambarmani, a resident of Wayanad. He is alleged to have come to Pandalur with two other accomplices. They were found by a police team while on a routine patrol. The police had discovered that the Tasmac shop in Kunthalady had been broken into and were on the lookout for the suspects when they spotted the three men.
When police tried to apprehend trio, they allegedly hurled stones at the personnel. Officials said a sub-inspector and a constable were injured, and when they tried to get closer to the men, they allegedly took out machetes hidden inside their cars and attacked them. An officer said the police fired warning shots in the air and at the ground. The trio were also alleged to have hurled glass bottles at the police. In the exchange, a sub-inspector shot Bijeesh in the leg once. The two other assailants fled while the police took Bijeesh to a hospital for treatment. The car in which the accused had travelled to Pandalur was also seized.
The police registered a case under Sections 457 (lurking house trespass or house break-in by night), 380 (theft), 353 (assaulting public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (ii)(criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. They are on the lookout for the accomplices.
