Chennai: Greater Chennai Police Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal today said the police had to open fire at history sheeter Sankar only after he hacked a Constable with a sickle.
“The police team went to arrest him for ganja peddling. But he hacked Constable Mubarak. So the police opened fire in self defence,” he told reporters.
Sankar was facing more than 50 criminal cases, including three murders, four attempt to murder, extortion and ganja selling. He was also detained under Goondas Act on nine occasions, Aggarwal said.
The team led by Ayanavaram police inspector Natarajan rounded him up and was being taken to recover ganja concealed in a debris dump in the area.
When the Inspector was recovering the contraband from him, Sankar attacked Constable Mubarak and the inspector opened fire on him in self defence.
In a bid to escape, he hacked Mubarak with a sickle, inflicting bleeding injuries on him, following which police opened fire.
Sankar was rushed to Kilpauk Medical College hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Mubarak was undergoing treatment at the same hospital.