Chennai: A North Indian man, who was part of a seven-member gang that looted three ATMs at Thrissur in Kerala and was fleeing in a container lorry, was shot dead by the police, while another burglar was injured in an encounter on the National Highway at Kumarapalayam in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu on Friday.
Two police personnel were injured in the encounter, when the burglars attacked the police, who caught the lorry after a hot chase, police said.
In a scene straight from a commercial blockbuster, the lorry was driven on the highway at a high speed. When the police tried to stop it, the driver of the lorry sped away with the vehicle.
Police gave a hot chase and managed to stop the vehicle. When they opened the lorry, they found at least seven burglars in it and one of them attacked the police, resulting in the encounter.
Police opened fire in self-defence killing one of the gang members, while injuring another person.
The two injured cops and the burglar, who suffered bullet wounds, was admitted to a hospital.
Police seized a luxury car and more than Rs 50 lakh cash from the lorry. The amount was believed to be the one that was looted from three ATMs in Kerala.
All the burglars were said to be North Indians. While five of them were arrested, one of them escaped into the forest areas nearby and a search was on to nab him.
Senior police officials, including the District Superintendent of Police, who said that police was forced to open fire in self-defence, visited the spot and held an inquest.
The SP and other police officials also visited the injured cops at the hospital.