Criminal Behind Bomb Attack On Prison Convoy Shot Dead In Encounter In Tamil Nadu

A criminal linked to last week's dramatic country bomb attack targeting a convict in Tamil Nadu's Perambalur district was shot dead in an alleged police encounter early Tuesday.

Acting on intelligence inputs, a team of officers led by Mangalamedu Police Inspector Nandakumar moved to recover weapons hidden in a forested area near a school in Thirumanthurai early this morning. During the operation, the suspects allegedly threw country-made bombs at the police vehicle and attempted to attack personnel while trying to escape.

In response, officers opened fire, fatally injuring, Alaguraja alias Kottu Raja (30), a resident of Madurai.

"In self-defence, officers opened fire when the suspect threw country bombs at police personnel," a senior police officer told NDTV.

"Alaguraja was fatally injured in the firing. Six other suspects have been secured. The injured cop is undergoing treatment," the officer added.

Those arrested include Nirmal Kumar (26), Pandi Muniswaran (27), Karthik (29), Alex Pandiyan (34), Aravind (29), and Vinoth (34), residents of Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Samayapuram, and the Nilgiris.

Police said Alaguraja was a hardened criminal with a violent record and multiple pending cases.

All six are currently being interrogated at Mangalamedu Police Station. Further forensic analysis, weapon recovery, and verification of the gang's wider criminal network are under way.

The development follows last week's high-profile attack in Perambalur district, where a gang allegedly attempted to murder a convict, Vellaikali, while he was being transported under police custody from Dindigul to Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai.

Near the Thirumanthurai toll plaza on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway, around 15 men travelling in two cars reportedly threw country bombs and tried to attack the convict with sharp weapons, allegedly driven by an old feud.

Two police personnel were injured in the January 24 attack, but the convict was safely secured and later transferred to prison with additional security. The suspects fled, breaking through a toll barrier before abandoning their vehicles, which were later seized by police near Thozhudur and Chinna Salem.

Following the attack, the Perambalur police formed five special teams and registered cases under multiple sections to track down those involved. Investigators believe the assault was part of a planned retaliation stemming from a long-standing criminal rivalry and are probing whether more individuals were involved in orchestrating the operation.

However, the encounter killing has sparked concern among human rights activists, who have called for transparency and an independent review.

"There is a pattern in encounter claims involving hardened suspects. We will respond after receiving complete and verified information," said a rights activist, urging authorities to release full details of the operation.