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Tamil Nadu
No other area witnesses a murder spree around Chennai as the Guduvanchery-Urapakkam-Vandalur-Mannivakkam belt does, writes K. Manikandan In what looks like a scene lifted from a movie, a group of men pounced on an unsuspecting man, attacked him with deadly weapons and fled in waiting vehicles from the spot…this is sadly close to reality. No other area witnesses a murder spree around Chennai as the Guduvanchery-Urapakkam-Vandalur-Mannivakkam belt does. The latest victim was Arumugham (26) of Kadaperi near Tambaram. A tailor, he was clubbed to death near Vandalur on Thursday evening. But the murder that sparked public unrest was that of S. K. Balaji, a 34-year-old functionary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam in Guduvanchery last week. Barely had he stepped out of an ATM when an armed gang hacked him to death. The incident took place on the service lane of Grand Southern Trunk Road in daylight at a time when hundreds of people were passing through the area. Angry residents, who have come across several such murders under the jurisdiction of the Chengalpattu sub-division of the Kancheepuram police district, blamed it on the rise of emboldened, armed groups with indirect political support. Police officials, who did not want to be named, said that the rise of such groups willing to carry out murderous attacks was alarming and dangerous. Till about a decade ago, most of the murders were restricted to a single location — Mannivakkam coming under the Otteri police station limits. Murders committed by organised gangsters took place at such regular intervals there. The victims of murders committed by organised and professional hitmen in the Chengalpattu sub-division included municipal and panchayat ward members, people in the real estate business. The most daring murder was that of G.Menaka, Dalit president of Urapakkam panchayat in March 2001. The murder took place inside the office of the panchayat when she was attending to her office work and interacting with residents. The murder sparked a widespread condemnation from all sections and the issue was even raised by opposition political parties. Demands were made by pressure groups to initiate action against the Guduvanchery police station for its failure to protect her though threats from mafia groups to her life were brought to their (the police) attention. Police officers in the Chengalpattu sub-division said that clashes over real estate transactions, especially those involving huge sums of money were the most important reason for such acts. Those who were once in the illicit arrack business and forced to give it up after police crackdown moved over to real estate and rival groups clashed over ownership of prime ‘poramboke’ land. And with alleged political patronage, the groups could ensure they could go scot-free after committing heinous crimes. While refuting that murders committed by the organised groups reflected the gross failure of the intelligence machinery of the Police Department, officials said that unlike the Chennai City Police which had a dedicated team to fight, monitor and track down the movement of criminals and gangsters, this job was usually left to a bare minimum strength of Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors of Chengalpattu sub-division. Permanent mechanismA permanent mechanism to monitor the movement of gangsters should be put in place and dedicated teams created to instil a sense of faith and confidence among the people, who have been shocked by the series of murders.
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