Head Constable M. Velmurugan held onto the vehicle’s roof rails during a lengthy chase from Coimbatore toward neighboring Tiruppur district.
COIMBATORE, INDIA — A Tamil Nadu police officer clung to the roof of a speeding SUV as three men suspected of transporting banned tobacco products tried to flee officers, setting off a lengthy highway pursuit that ended with the suspects arrested and the vehicle seized.
The Sept. 27 chase began after police received information that banned gutkha and other tobacco products were being transported from Bengaluru toward Coimbatore, according to local news reports citing police. Head Constable M. Velmurugan, 38, of Kovilpalayam police station became trapped in a dangerous position as officers tried to stop a Karnataka-registered SUV. Video later circulated showing him stretched across the roof and gripping the vehicle’s rails while it traveled at high speed.
Accounts of the initial encounter vary in some details. Police told reporters that officers intercepted or attempted to stop the SUV in the Coimbatore area at about 5:45 a.m. According to one detailed account citing senior officers, Sub-Inspector V. Vignesh was speaking with the occupants through an open window when the driver raised the glass and trapped one of the officer’s hands before reversing. Velmurugan, who was holding the vehicle, climbed onto its roof as the SUV moved away and then held onto the rails as the driver accelerated.
The SUV traveled through areas on the outskirts of Coimbatore before reaching Avinashi Road and heading toward Tiruppur on the Salem-Kochi highway. News organizations citing police put the distance Velmurugan remained on the vehicle at roughly 30 to 40 kilometers, or about 19 to 25 miles. Some reports said the SUV exceeded 100 kph, or about 62 mph, during parts of the pursuit. Police vehicles followed as officers tried to bring the SUV to a stop.
An ambulance operated in coordination with the National Highways Authority of India was also sent into the pursuit because of the danger to Velmurugan, District Superintendent of Police A. Pavan Kumar Reddy told The Hindu. Reddy said the ambulance crew recorded some of the footage showing the officer on the SUV. Police also alerted personnel farther along the route as the vehicle continued toward Tiruppur district.
The pursuit eventually ended after police blocked or intercepted the SUV near the Avinashi area, with reports placing the final stop near Mangalam junction, Thekkalur or Karumathampatti. Those locations are in the same general corridor, but published accounts differ on the precise stopping point. Police said the three occupants left the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before officers caught them. Velmurugan was reported to have escaped the episode without injury.
Authorities identified three men in connection with the case, though published reports contain differences in the spelling or form of some names and ages. Police said the men were from Rajasthan and were suspected of carrying gutkha and other prohibited tobacco products from Karnataka for delivery in the Coimbatore area. They were taken into custody after the chase. Two suspects suffered arm injuries during the attempt to escape, according to reports citing police.
The exact amount of tobacco seized also differs among published accounts. Reports citing police have placed the haul at approximately 170 kilograms, 200 kilograms, 230 kilograms or more, while some early coverage gave figures approaching 300 kilograms. Because those totals conflict, an exact final seizure weight could not be independently confirmed. Authorities seized both the tobacco products and the SUV, according to police accounts. Gutkha, a chewing tobacco mixture, is among the tobacco products prohibited for sale in Tamil Nadu.
Footage of the pursuit spread widely online after Tamil Nadu Police and news organizations published video of Velmurugan holding onto the SUV. Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal publicly praised the officer’s courage, presence of mind and commitment to duty. The episode also drew attention from senior state officials as the images circulated nationally and internationally.
On Sept. 29, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met Velmurugan in Chennai and congratulated him for his actions during the pursuit, according to reports of the meeting. Vijay praised the officer’s conduct but also advised him to remain safe while performing his duties. The recognition came two days after the arrests and seizure.
The three men remained accused in connection with the suspected transport of banned tobacco products, and the allegations against them had not been proven in court. Publicly available reports reviewed for this story did not establish a later court outcome or provide a final reconciled figure for the seized tobacco. Police said the vehicle and contraband were taken into custody following the chase.
Author note: Last updated October 8, 2026.