Mohana Krishnan Killed in Encounter | Coimbatore Kidnap and murder case

Mohana Krishnan Killed in Encounter | Coimbatore Kidnap and murder case

Mohana Krishnan (23), a cab driver who kidnapped a 10-year-old girl and her seven-year-old brother before raping the girl and drowning both the children in a canal, was shot dead on Tuesday.

Mohana was gunned down in Coimbatore in what the police called an encounter. Four days ago, he had asked for mercy killing.

Police said they had to open fire as the accused snatched a revolver from a sub inspector and tried to attack the police party when the policemen fired in self defence, killing him on the spot.

“The accused was being taken to the scene of crime by a team of five personnel in an Eicher van when he snatched a revolver and threatened the policemen to drive him to Palakkad. He then opened fire, injuring two sub inspectors, Muthumalai and Jothi. Our men retaliated. The accused took three bullets, two in the head and one in the chest,” Coimbatore city police commissioner C Sylendra Babu told ToI.

“The incident happened at 5.30am today,” he confirmed.

The injured policemen have been admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. The commissioner said sub inspector Muthumalai suffered a bullet injury of the stomach, while Jothi was injured on the right hand. “Muthumalai’s condition is a matter of concern,” he added.

Mohana Krishnan, while being taken for the potency test – a mandatory procedure in rape cases – on November 4, had pleaded with the police that he be given mercy killing. The public rage at the accused was so much that he was pelted with eggs and footwear when he was brought to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for medical tests.

Mohana Krishnan had abducted the brother and his sister on October 29 for ransom. The children were waiting for their van to school when Mohana Krishnan came in another vehicle and told them that he was their substitute driver for the day since the regular driver P Renjith Kumar was not on duty. The children got in. An hour later, when Renjith Kumar called up the children’s parents saying the children were not to be seen, they informed the police.

Their bodies were fished out of the Tirumurthy Dam, 77 km from Coimbatore. Renjith Kumar told police about Mohana Krishnan, who has served as substitute driver earlier. Police arrested him and his accomplice R Manoharan. Later it turned out that the girl was raped before being drowned.