Coimbatore News: A routine vehicle check in Coimbatore turned into a high-speed pursuit straight out of an action film when a head constable climbed onto the roof of a fleeing SUV and clung to its rails for nearly 40 km as three suspected gutkha smugglers tried to escape.
Head Constable M. Velmurugan, 38, attached to Kovilpalayam police station, held on to the roof of the SUV as it raced through busy stretches of Coimbatore and towards Tiruppur, at times reportedly crossing 100 kmph. Police eventually intercepted the vehicle near Mangalam junction in Tiruppur district and arrested all three suspects.
Early-Morning Interception Turns Into High-Speed Escape
According to a report in The Hindu, the drama began around 5.45 am after police received specific intelligence about the movement of a consignment
of banned tobacco products from Bengaluru towards Coimbatore. A team led by Neelambur Inspector P. Thiyagarajan spotted a white SUV with a Karnataka registration at Vellanaipatti and alerted Kovilpalayam police. Sub-Inspector V. Vignesh and Head Constable Velmurugan then moved to intercept the vehicle at Kaikolapalayam.
When Vignesh approached the SUV and began questioning the occupants through an open window, the driver suddenly raised the glass, trapping the officer’s hand. The vehicle was then reversed in an apparent attempt to break through the police interception.
Velmurugan, who had been holding the vehicle from the side, quickly climbed onto the roof and grabbed the roof rails. As he banged on the roof in an attempt to force the driver to stop, the driver released Vignesh’s hand and accelerated.
Headconstable Velmurugan of Kovilpalayam police station in #Coimbatore clung onto the roof rails of an SUV for about 40 km as three men from Rajasthan tried escape from the police with over 250 kg of gutkha. The video was shot by the crew of an NHAI ambulance. @THChennai pic.twitter.com/7pAt9m4ZVd
— Wilson Thomas (@wilson__thomas) September 27, 2026
The SUV was suddenly on the move – with Velmurugan still on top.
SUV Races Through Coimbatore
The fleeing vehicle sped through Kalapatti, Nehru Nagar junction and the airport junction before reaching Avinashi Road and heading towards Tiruppur on the busy Salem-Kochi Highway. Police said the SUV travelled at speeds of more than 100 kmph during parts of the pursuit. Vignesh followed in a private car, while Thiyagarajan and his team chased in a police vehicle.
Meanwhile, motorists who spotted the policeman gripping the roof of the speeding SUV began recording the extraordinary scene on their mobile phones. Videos of the pursuit later surfaced online.
The police also alerted the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which deployed an ambulance to accompany the chase and help safeguard Velmurugan. The ambulance crew captured footage of the head constable clinging to the vehicle.
FASTag Helps SUV Slip Through Toll Barrier
Police also alerted the Kaniyur toll gate in an attempt to stop the fleeing SUV. But the plan failed when the vehicle’s FASTag triggered the boom barrier, allowing it to pass through without stopping.
The chase continued as police teams coordinated with officers in Tiruppur district to cut off the vehicle further ahead.
40-Km Pursuit Ends Near Tiruppur
The pursuit finally ended after police, with assistance from the Avinashi team, managed to block the SUV near Mangalam junction. The three occupants abandoned the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot. Police chased them and eventually arrested all three.
The suspects were identified as Babu Dhara, 27, A. Rajesh, 23, and S. Suresh, 20, all from Rajasthan. Two of them reportedly suffered fractures to their upper limbs during the escape attempt.
The SUV was seized and the suspected tobacco consignment recovered.
Gutkha Consignment Seized
Officials gave varying figures for the quantity of contraband recovered, with reports putting the consignment at around 230 kg to nearly 300 kg of gutkha and other banned tobacco products. Police said the material was being transported from Karnataka/Bengaluru to Coimbatore for delivery.
The three suspects are now being questioned as part of the investigation into the alleged tobacco-smuggling network.
Describing the dramatic pursuit, Velmurugan said he realised the suspects could not be allowed to escape and held tightly to the rails until the vehicle was stopped.
Video Captures Dramatic Chase
Footage recorded by the NHAI ambulance crew and motorists showed Velmurugan gripping the roof rails while the SUV continued at high speed. The extraordinary images quickly drew widespread attention, with members of the public praising the head constable’s actions. Tamil Nadu ministers and senior police officers also congratulated him following the incident.
The operation involved coordinated efforts by police teams from Coimbatore and Tiruppur, the NHAI ambulance crew and others who helped track and intercept the fleeing SUV.
The vehicle has been seized and further investigation into the alleged smuggling operation is underway.
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