1 hr ago
Tamil Nadu Cop Clings To SUV Roof During Gutkha Chase
Police were looking for an SUV suspected of carrying banned gutkha.
They tried to stop it near Kaikolapalayam early Sunday morning.
The driver suddenly sped away while a police officer’s hand was briefly trapped in the window.
Head constable M Velmurugan held onto the SUV’s roof rails as it drove away.
He stayed there for more than 40 kilometers, even when the vehicle went faster than 100 kilometers per hour.
Police alerted the National Highways Authority of India and sent an ambulance to follow the chase.
Officers also tried to stop the SUV at a toll plaza, but it passed through.
Police finally blocked the vehicle near Mangalam junction in Tiruppur.
The three people inside ran away but were caught, and police found about 230 kilograms of gutkha in the SUV.
Head constable M Velmurugan clung to an SUV’s roof rails for more than 40 kilometers during an early-morning pursuit.
Police said the SUV was carrying approximately 230 kilograms of banned gutkha from Bengaluru toward Coimbatore.
The driver accelerated after police attempted to intercept the Karnataka-registered SUV at Kaikolapalayam around 5:45 a.m. Sunday.
The chase crossed from Coimbatore district into Tiruppur and sometimes reached speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour.
Three suspected smugglers were arrested near Mangalam junction after abandoning the SUV; police said two suffered upper-limb fractures.
- Who
- Head constable M Velmurugan, other police teams, and three suspected smugglers identified as Babu Dhara, Rajesh, and Suresh.
- What
- Police pursued and arrested three suspected gutkha smugglers after a head constable clung to their speeding SUV for more than 40 kilometers.
- Where
- The pursuit began at Kaikolapalayam in Coimbatore district and ended near Mangalam junction in Tiruppur.
- When
- Early Sunday morning; the interception began at about 5:45 a.m.
- Why
- Police acted on intelligence about a consignment of banned tobacco products being moved from Bengaluru toward Coimbatore.
Key facts
- Officer involved
- M Velmurugan, a 38-year-old head constable at Kovilpalayam police station
- Suspects arrested
- Babu Dhara, 27; Rajesh, 23; and Suresh, 20
- Seized material
- Approximately 230 kilograms of gutkha
- Pursuit distance
- More than 40 kilometers
- Reported speed
- At times above 100 kilometers per hour
- Interception time
- Around 5:45 a.m. Sunday
- Pursuit endpoint
- Near Mangalam junction in Tiruppur
Sources
Related news
Kalwa Police Arrest Two in ₹26.81 Lakh Gutkha Bust
Maharashtra FDA Seizes ₹1.13 Crore Gutkha After Six-Hour Chase
Two Suspected Vehicle Thieves Killed in Assam Police Shootout
Three Arrested After 92.79-Kilogram Ganja Seizure In Kavali
Six Arrested After Three Highway Robberies Trigger Security Alert
Two Arrested After 90 Kilograms of Ganja Seized in Kerala
Tiruppur Adapts as New US Tariff Threat Revives
Final candidate lists for Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls due today
15,000 Saplings Planted Across 100 Acres Near Tiruppur Dam
TVK Government to Launch Expanded Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme September 22
