Murder attempt on govt officers caught on cam

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Chennai: It's not a common hit-and-run on the roads. Instead it's a planned attempt to murder captured on tape.

Two engineers from the Highway Department and a policeman were deliberately mowed down by a car as they were going about their job, supervising demolition of an unauthorised temple in Kanyakumari district.

The victims were enforcing a court order to remove a part of a temple which is an encroachment on a highway in Kanyakumari district.

Minutes before the incident a local lawyer got into a fight with the authorities over the encroachments being removed. The entire incident was caught on camera.

General Secretary Association of Tamil Nadu Highways Engineers, E Venkatachalam says, "The incident has shocked all of us. Everyone's family is now worried. We hope better police protection is given the next time we undertake such work."

The two engineers Anthony Xavier and Sundaram escaped, but with serious injuries.

When CNN-IBN visited Anthony in the hospital in Nagercoil, he said that he had been threatened once earlier.

"I tried to see the number of the car that hit me but I could not, because I was injured in the head and there was a lot of blood," he said.

He also said that two men — Arjunan and Russell — had threatened to kill him mere minutes before he was run over by the car. He said that the man who was driving the car was Arjunan's son.

Neither the car nor the driver have been traced as yet. The suspects include the temple priest, his son and a local lawyer.

Officials say the priest and his wife have been arrested in connection with the attempted murder, but the main accused is still absconding.

Highways Chief Engineer, A Kabeer Ahmed said, "Two people have been arrested — the priest and his wife. The lawyer who was involved was the priest's son-in-law and he has got anticipatory bail. The son is absconding."

In the past, several officials fighting sand quarrying and prevention of the smuggling of PDS rice have faced similar attacks, but never before has it been caught so dramatically on tape.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER
	The incident occurred on February 6 before scores of people when the driver of an ambassador car veered to the right of the road and ran over the three victims standing near a bulldozer. The incident was caught on the video being used to capture the demolition proceedings. However, the car sped away and the driver is absconding.
	Police believe that a village headman, who was responsible for the temple constructed on government land, could have been behind the murder attempt. There were many protests against the demolition by the local people.
	The incident came to light only on Monday, when the State Highways Department officials released a CD of the incident and demanded strong action against the culprits.
	Attacks on government employees by vested interests were nothing new in the state. A Tasildar was killed by thugs, when he attempted to stop illicit sand quarrying in Kancheepuram district two years ago.
	Some department officials, including a revenue inspector were attacked, when they attempt to prevent illegal sand quarrying in two other places.
	The police registered a case of accident but the Highways Department officials were not satisfied with the two arrests. They requested the District Collector and Superintendent of Police to register a case of attempt to murder. Special squads have been formed to nab the culprits.
	Meanwhile, official sources here said the Chief Engineer Highways, has ordered an enquiry into the matter by a senior official, who is expected to submit a report in a couple of days.
	The Bar association of Nagercoil has allleged that the CD released by the officials were doctored ones. The lawyers have threatened to go on an agitation if the police arrested some persons on the basis of the CD.

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