Chennai, April 2 -- A notorious rowdy was shot dead in an encounter when he tried to flee after attacking the police, inflicting cut injuries on them, besides attacking a couple of lorry drivers after robbing them, in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

District Superintendent of Police Jayakumar told reporters that the rowdy Vijay alias 'Muttai' Vijay was involved in more than 30 cases of waylaying and burglaries in Puducherry, Cuddalore, Villuppuram and neighbouring districts and was the head of a six-member gang, five of whom were already arrested.

He said during the last two days Vijay waylaid lorries on the Puducherry- Nagapattinam National Highway near Cuddalore, robbed them, attacked them with sickles and decamped...