Coimbatore Cop Rides Car Roof for 40 km as Tobacco Smugglers Flee Checkpoint
A head constable clung to the roof of a speeding car for about 40 km after three suspected tobacco smugglers fled a checkpoint in Coimbatore. Police seized 200 kg of gutkha and detained three men from Rajasthan.
A routine vehicle check in Coimbatore turned into a dramatic 40-kilometre pursuit after a car carrying suspected tobacco smugglers sped away from a checkpoint, with a head constable clinging to its roof for much of the chase.
Police had set up the checkpoint in Vilankurichi town after receiving a tip that around 300 kilograms of gutkha and other tobacco products were being moved in a car. When a vehicle bearing a Karnataka registration plate failed to stop and accelerated away, officers suspected it was the one they were looking for and gave chase on a motorcycle.
During the pursuit, head constable Velmurugan climbed onto the roof of the Hyundai Creta and held on as the car continued at high speed. The occupants showed no sign of slowing down, and the chase stretched for roughly 40 kilometres.
A sub-inspector following on a bike alerted the control room and ambulance services while the pursuit was under way. The vehicle was eventually brought under control and stopped near a petrol pump close to the Coimbatore district border.
A senior police official said 200 kilograms of gutkha were seized from the car and three accused were detained for questioning. The suspects are reported to be from Rajasthan and were travelling from Karnataka. An investigation has been launched.
Video of the chase, filmed from an ambulance, has since circulated widely on social media.