Coimbatore policeman clings onto SUV roof rails for over 40 km to nab gutkha smugglers

In a high-octane chase that looked like something out of a movie, a Coimbatore policeman clung onto the roof rails of an SUV for over 40 km as three persons from Rajasthan attempted to escape with banned tobacco products.

M. Velmurugan, 38, a head constable attached to the Kovilpalayam police station in the district, held onto the roof rails of the SUV, which had about 230 kg of gutkha. The chase started from Kaikolapalayam in the jurisdiction of the Kovilpalayam station around 5.45 a.m. According to senior officers, they had specific information on the smuggling of banned tobacco products from Bengaluru to Coimbatore.

A team, led by Neelambur Inspector P. Thiyagarajan, identified the suspected white SUV bearing a Karnataka registration number at Vellanaipatti.