Trio loots Panruti Petrol Station, 1 held

PANRUTI: Three persons, including a trainee sub-inspector of police (SI), were injured when they attempted to nab three burglars who looted a petrol station at gunpoint and tried to flee with Rs 55,000 at Kollukarankuttai near Panruti on Sunday morning. The burglars armed with knives and a gun entered the petrol station belonging to Latha at Kollukarankuttai on the Kumbakonam-Chennai road at 4 am. Two employees, Karthikeyan (30) of Silambinathanpettai and Shanmu­gam (45) of Meenakshipettai were on duty.According to police, the burglars threatened the employees and asked them to hand over the almirah key. The employees refused but when the burglars fired a shot on the floor and injured one employee they gave it to them. Burglars tied employees’ hands and legs with electrical wires and decamped with Rs 55,000.A few minutes later, a lorry came to the petrol station. Shocked on seeing two persons tied with wire, the driver and loadman enquired and got to know about the burglary. Loadman Gopalakrishnan (30) called one Arul of Marungur over the phone and asked him to come over with a car to chase the burglars down the road. On the way, they spotted the  burglars on the roadside. Lorry driver and Gopalakrishnan got down from the car a few meters away while Arul reported the matter to the police.Police reached the spot and chased the burglars. People of nearby areas also joined police in the chase.Trainee SI G Rajkamal, who joined duty in Kadampuliyur police station just a day ago, overpowered a burglar. The trainee SI sustained minor injuries.Hundreds of people and the police chased the other two burglars. North zone IG Sylendra Babu after holding discussions with Cuddalore Superintendent of Police Pakalavan and other cops said: “Ten police teams have been formed to nab the burglars. One Selvam (25) had been arrested. Others will be arrested soon.” Injured Gopalakrishan underwent treatment in Cuddalore government hospital and has been shifted to a Puducherry hospital for better treatment.Police said: “Selvam told us that he is native of Arapalayam in Madurai. He also identified the other burglars as Prakash and Rajkumar.”