Dindigul:
A member of a gang, charged with kidnapping a DMK functionary recently, was shotdead in an encounter with police near here while three others were arrested, police said.
Following a tip-off that the gang members, led by Varichur Selvam, were staying in a lodge, police surrounded itthis evening and asked them to surrender. But they threatened the police team, whipping out weapons like sickle and crowbar,police said.
Fearing that they would be attacked, an inspector opened fire killing Bijoy on the spot, police said. Three othermembers, including Selvam, were arrested after a chase while one managed to escape.
The lodge owner was also arrested for cleaning the room where the criminal was shot and allegedly trying to destroythe evidence, police said.
According to the police, DMK's Kovalur secretary in Ramanathapuram district, Kathiravan, had given a complaintthat he was kidnapped last month by the gang which sought a ransom of Rs.1.5 lakh for his release.
On February 23, five men suspectedly involved in two bank robberies were shot dead in Chennai by a police team.