The D..J. Halli police on Saturday shot rowdy-sheeter Mohammed Awez, 22, in the leg when he allegedly attacked a police officer in a bid to evade arrest.
Awez had escaped from police custody last week when he was arrested for breaking into a house and raping a woman. Her husband, a security guard, was away at work.
On hearing her cries, neighbours barged into the house, caught Awez and handed him over to the police. However, he managed to escape while the police were escorting him to the station after the mandatory medical check-up.
A police team tracked him down to an isolated place in Vyalikaval, surrounded the area, and started combing it. “During the operation, constable Arun Kumar spotted the accused and tried to nab him. However, Awez attacked the constable with a dagger and tried to flee. Inspector Kiran Kumar gave a warning and later shot Awez at his left leg to stop him from fleeing. The accused along with the injured constable were shifted to hospital and both were said to be out of danger,” said a police officer.
Awez, a mechanic at a puncture repair shop, is allegedly involved in 28 criminal cases. According to the police, he has been jailed at least 10 times for extortion and robbery, but got out on bail every time. He was expelled from the city in July last year but returned to the city last week.
