Constable Clings to Speeding SUV Roof During 40-Kilometre Smuggling Chase

A Coimbatore head constable clung to the roof rails of a speeding, Karnataka-registered SUV for nearly 40 kilometres as police pursued three suspected gutkha smugglers travelling from Karnataka toward Avinashi. The chase began when officers acting on a tip tried to stop the vehicle; the driver reportedly trapped a sub-inspector’s hand in the window before fleeing. Police intercepted the SUV near Karumathampatti and arrested the three men from Rajasthan, seizing banned tobacco products estimated at 200–230 kilograms, though accounts differ on the exact amount. The constable was reported uninjured, and video recorded by an ambulance crew circulated widely.
The chase passed through Kalapatti, Nehru Nagar and the airport junction before reaching Avinashi Road and the Salem–Kochi Highway; the SUV was reportedly travelling at speeds exceeding 100 km/h.
Police alerted the National Highways Authority of India, which sent an ambulance to help protect the constable. Police also alerted the Kaniyur toll gate, but the SUV passed through because the boom barrier opened via FASTag, according to a district police official.
The suspects were identified as P. Babu Dhara, 27, A. Rajesh, 23, and S. Suresh, 20; police said they were transporting the consignment from Karnataka to Coimbatore.
Tamil Nadu ministers K. Muthusamy and R. S. Rajakannappan congratulated Velmurugan by video call and said they would bring his actions to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s attention.
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