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Sunday October 17, 2010
Trader gunned down outside house after responding to assailant’s calls
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
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KOTA TINGGI: A businessman was gunned down at close range in front of his 14-year-old son outside their home here on Friday night. The horrified boy screamed for his mother and also called an uncle living nearby for help. The victim, G. Tamil Silvam (pic), 44, died in hospital where his brother, Ravi, 38, had taken him.
The assailant was seen running away after the incident via a closed-circuit TV camera at a neighbour’s house. Recalling the horrific incident, T. Prabu said he and his father were earlier in the house watching TV. “It was around 9.30pm when I heard someone calling my father. The man said he wanted to see my father,” he said.
When the father and son stepped out of the house the man reached for a gun and shot Tamil Selvam. Prabu, who claimed he did not know the assailant, said his father was standing at his side when he was gunned down. “I saw the man trying to reach for something from his back, which turned out to be a pistol. “He fired twice at my father,” the teenager sobbed.
“I was startled and shocked to see my father being shot and collapsing before my eyes,” he said, adding that he immediately called his mother. Ravi said he doubted that his brother was facing financial problems as Tamil Selvam had just bought a lorry to expand his business. Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Osman Mohamed Sebot said that the attacker used a semi-automatic pistol to shoot the victim at close range.
Two shots were fired, hitting the victim in the chest and right ribs. Supt Osman said a CCTV image from a neighbouring house showed a man running away with an object in his hand, believed to be the murder weapon. The suspect, believed to be in his 30s and about five feet eight inches tall, was wearing a baseball cap and a black T-shirt.
“We recovered two bullet shells outside the victim’s house,” said Supt Osman. No arrest has been made so far. Supt Osman said the case is being investigated as murder and urged those with information to report to the nearest police station or contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999.
