{"id":29700,"date":"2026-09-28T07:05:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=29700"},"modified":"2026-09-28T07:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:05:35","slug":"cop-foils-smugglers-attempt-to-escape-by-clinging-on-to-their-suv-for-nearly-40km-coimbatore-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=29700","title":{"rendered":"Cop foils smugglers\u2019 attempt to escape by clinging on to their SUV for nearly 40km | Coimbatore News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134530556,imgsize-93417,width-400,height-225,resizemode-75\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-suv-till-karumathampatti-which-is-about-40km-away.jpg\" alt=\"Trapped hand, speeding SUV and desperate climb: How cops stopped gutka-laden vehicle\" title=\"Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away.\">Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>COIMBATORE: A police head constable foiled an attempt by three smugglers to escape in a gutka-laden sports utility vehicle, by clinging to the top of the vehicle on Avinashi Road till a highway patrol team intercepted the gang at Karumathampatti near here on Sunday morning.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away. The three smugglers have been arrested.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Kovilpalayam sub-inspector <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/vignesh\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vignesh<\/a> and head constable Velmurugan attempted to stop the SUV (KA 05 NG 7692) at Vilankurchi near Kovilapalayam around 5.45am.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>Velmurugan climbed atop the SUV when the driver slowed the vehicle but refused to halt and sped towards Avinashi. <!-- -->The constable clung atop the SUV by holding the roof rails of the vehicle despite the smugglers driving the vehicle athigh speed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>Vignesh immediately informed the Karumathampatti police and highway patrol team on Avinashi Road, who chased the vehicle for nearly an hour and eventually intercepted it at Karumathampatti and saved Velmurugan without any injuries.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>Police found more than 100kg of gutka products in the car and identified three smugglers travelling in the car as P Babu Dhara, 27, A Rajesh, 23 and S Suresh, 20, all from Rajasthan.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>They were smuggling the contraband from Karnataka to Coimbatore. Police seized the contraband and the car.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Meanwhile, prohibition and excise minister K Vignesh and minister for backward classes welfare RS Rajakannappan spoke to Velmurugan over a video call and congratulated him for his bravery.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>They said they would take Velmurugan\u2019s daring act to the attention of chief minister C Joseph Vijay.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>Later, Velmurugan told TOI<span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">,<\/span> \u201cWhen we approached the vehicle, the driver stopped and rolled down the window. While we were questioning the occupants, he started moving the car and closed the window, trapping the SI\u2019s hand inside. Our SI ran for a few metres with his hand trapped inside. Luckily, the SI fell on the road without any injuries, but I climbed atop the SUV. I realised the suspects should not be allowed to escape, so I held on to the rails tightly till they were captured.<!-- --> As police personnel, we were just doing our duty.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/coimbatore\/cop-foils-smugglers-attempt-to-escape-by-clinging-on-to-their-suv-for-nearly-40km\/articleshow\/134525432.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away. COIMBATORE: A police head constable foiled an attempt by three smugglers to escape in a gutka-laden sports utility vehicle, by clinging to the top of the vehicle on Avinashi Road [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/head-constable-m-velmurugan-claimed-that-the-chase-started-at-vilankurichi-and-he-clung-on-to-the-su.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Head constable, M Velmurugan, claimed that the chase started at Vilankurichi and he clung on to the SUV till Karumathampatti, which is about 40km away. 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