An alleged rowdy, Vishwanathan (38), was gunned down by the Chennai police near Sriperumbudur in the evening hours of Saturday, September 16. Vishwanathan was a resident of Sriperumbudur. As per the reports, the police shot him dead after he allegedly attacked a Sub Inspector and tried to escape. Police claim Vishwanathan was killed in an act of self-defense. However, in the past, Vishwanathan had complained against two police officers who were allegedly planning to kill him.
According to the reports, Viswanathan was wanted in many cases. He was under the vigilance of the Sriperumbudur police. Based on the tip-off, police learnt that he was hiding in Sogandi near Sunguvarchatram, Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district. When police tried to catch him, he allegedly attacked Sub-Inspector Murali and tried to flee from the spot, police say.
Vishwanathan’s alleged “encounter” raises suspicions of extrajudicial killing, as the deceased had previously filed a complaint against Inspector Parandhaman and Sub Inspector Dhayalan of Sriperumbudur police station, alleging that the police officers were conspiring to eliminate him.
In the complaint against the police duo, Viswanathan said that he was out on bail after serving in Puzhal Central prison between August 8, 2021, and September 8, 2022. Following which he was ordered to sign at the police station every day in Sivanganga district. From September 24, 2022, he stayed in the Sivanganga district and appeared before the police station. “Despite my appearance before the police, my bail got cancelled,” he wrote in a complaint.
Viswanathan challenged the cancellation of the bail order in Chennai High Court. On August 1, 2023, The court ordered him to appear before Sriperumbudur police station twice a day at 10.30 am and 5.30 pm. However, there was a delay in getting the order copy. Viswanathan got the order copy on August 26 and started to appear before Sriperumbudur police on August 27, he claimed.
He alleged that when he went to the police station to sign the papers, he was asked to wait till Inspector Parandhaman arrived at the police station. During his time at the police station, he was interrogated by the special police team till 12:00 p.m, he said in his complaint. Viswanathan alleged that Dhayalan was discussing with Prandhaman whether they just needed to get his signature or shoot him down.