Tamil Nadu chief honours constable who stopped gutkha smugglers’ escape

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has felicitated head constable M. Velmurugan of the Coimbatore police after an operation involving an alleged gutkha-smuggling attempt.

Police said Mr Velmurugan climbed onto the roof of an SUV and held on to its roof rails for more than 40 kilometres as three men attempted to escape. The incident occurred early on Sunday, 27 September. According to a release from Coimbatore District Rural Police, the constable was attached to Kovilpalayam police station and risked his life to prevent the vehicle from getting away.

The vehicle was eventually intercepted near Avinashi in Tiruppur district through coordinated police action. Three people from Rajasthan were arrested, and officers seized 231 kilograms of gutkha, police said. Footage of the incident was recorded by the crew of an ambulance operated by the National Highways Authority of India.

The video showed Mr Velmurugan holding onto the SUV while it was moving. Chief Minister Vijay personally called on the constable and conveyed his appreciation. The Chief Minister’s Office said the recognition was for Mr Velmurugan’s courage, presence of mind and dedication to duty.

Director General of Police and Head of Police Force Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal also congratulated the constable and praised his conduct during the operation. The supplied material does not state the charges filed against the three arrested men or provide details about the legal status of the seized goods. It identifies gutkha as the material police said was being transported and records the arrests and seizure.