A man was shot dead by police and his aide injured when they attacked the sister-in-law of a realtor after barging into her house at nearby Punjarasanthangal village.
Police said the two armed men forced their way into the house yesterday, bolted it from inside and attacked her. Her father-in-law who was locked out of the house, shouted for help following which neighbours arrived at the spot.
An Armed Reserve constable and another policeman guarding her relative's house nearby also rushed to the spot and went inside to find the duo holding the woman hostage at knife-point, they said.
Following this, the constable opened fire killing one of them. People gathered outside rushed inside and roughed up the other person.
The injured woman and the man have been hospitalised.
Cops suspect that the two men were henchmen of an illicit arrack seller and real estate broker Sridhar, who had a long standing feud with one Arumugam over some property deals.
Arumugam's two sons were reportedly killed by members of Sridhar gang. The surviving son had been given police protection on a court order.
