Man accused in series of break-ins shot after attack on constable

Cuddalore district Superintendent of Police S. Jeyakumar calls on the injured constable
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A man allegedly involved in a series of house break-ins across the State was shot in the leg by an Inspector of Police after he purportedly attacked a police constable with a sharp weapon at Sithalapadi near Chidambaram in the early hours of Thursday (March 20, 2025).

The incident occurred when a team from the Annamalai Nagar police station took the accused M. Stephen, 38, of Padmanabhapuram in Kanniyakumari district, to the spot to recover lethal weapons, including an iron rod allegedly used in the crimes.

Cuddalore district Superintendent of Police S. Jeyakumar said the accused was involved in a house break-in incident at Annamalai Nagar in Chidambaram on March 18, 2025. He had decamped with 10.50 sovereigns of gold jewellery and damaged the CCTV cameras installed in the house, Mr. Jeyakumar said.

A team led by Annamalai Nagar police station Inspector K. Ambedkar apprehended the accused during a vehicle check on Wednesday (March 19, 2025). The preliminary investigation revealed that Stephen was involved in 27 cases of house break-in across the State.

When the team took the accused to Sithalapadi to recover the lethal weapons used in these incidents on Thursday, he allegedly attacked Grade I constable Gnanapragasam with a sharp weapon in his possession.

Inspector Ambedkar immediately pulled out his service pistol and shot Stephen on his leg in an act of self defence to save the constable, the police said. The injured constable and the accused were taken to the Government Cuddalore Medical College and Hospital. Further investigation is under way.