Chennai: Magistrate starts probe into Anandan encounter'

Chennai: A day after rowdy Anandan was shot dead in police ‘encounter’, Saidapet fast-track court magistrate P. Sandilyan commenced a judicial inquiry into the incident on Wednesday.

The magistrate visited the CPT in Taramani where Anandan was shot dead and started the investigation formally. He also questioned sub-inspector Ilayaraja, who was hacked by Anandan and assistant commissioner N. Sudharsan.

“P. Sandilyan also went to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where Anandan’s body was kept for post-mortem. He also oversaw the post-mortem,” a source said. The post-mortem procedures were also video-recorded.

Meanwhile, police said that further actions would be taken based on the report submitted by the magistrate. The police had arrested Anandan, who had 13 cases against him, and his friends for allegedly attacking a grade-1 constable Rajavelu attached to Royapettah police station when he intervened a drunken brawl near Royapettah mosque. The gang, including Anandan, hacked Rajavelu with knife inflicting 16 cut injuries and took his walkie-talkie. Rajavelu is undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the city police formed a special team to nab the gang and arrested Anandan and others on Tuesday morning. As Anandan, reportedly, told the police that he had concealed the walkie-talkie in a bush near CPT, they took him to find the same. But the Anandan started to attack sub-inspector Ilayaraja with a sickle that he concealed in the bush. To safeguard Ilayaraja, police opened fire killing him, the police said.

At the same time, Kotturpuram police have registered a case based on SI Ilayaraja against Anandan. U. Manickavel, additional deputy commissioner, prohibition and enforcement wing to probe the case. Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan had issued 3(b) notice to Kottupuram inspector Vijayarangan for not taking action based on intelligence report, which warned of Anandan and his gang’s criminal activities.

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