The city police rounded up ‘Rocket’ Raja, who is wanted in a number of murder and extortion cases, and his four accomplices at gunpoint from a star hotel in Teynampet.
The police said Raja, a native of Thisayanvilai, had been camping in the city with a plan to eliminate Karthick of Ramanathapuram over a land dispute.
On Sunday night, Deputy Commissioner of Police P. Aravindan received information that a few rowdies carrying dangerous weapons were staying in a star hotel on Anna Salai.
A special team led by him reached the eighth floor of the hotel. It knocked on the door, but as there was no response, armed police personnel broke it open and entered the room.
Raja and his accomplices offered resistance, but were overpowered and arrested.
Murder accused
Raja was one of the prime accused among nine, including an advocate and a doctor, in the murder of Senthil Kumar, an assistant professor of a private engineering college, at his residence in Anna Nagar in Palayamkottai on February 26. Citing advocate Balaganesan as the first accused, the First Information Report registered by the Palayamkottai police named doctor Balamurugan, Balaganesan’s younger brother, Raja and six others as co-accused in the case.
Tip-off
A case was registered after the “original target,” G. Kumar alias ‘Kodiyankulam’ Kumar, 52, the father-in-law of the deceased, told the police that Balaganesan, Balamurugan and Raja were behind the murder.
Inquiries revealed that an armed gang, after hurling two country bombs at the gate, scaled the compound wall and murdered Senthil Kumar. The target, Mr. Kumar, was watering plants in the backyard. Before he could react, the assailants fled, the police said.
Raja was involved in a few more criminal cases in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi and was part of a community welfare organisation. The city police said Raja would be handed over to the Palayamkottai police soon.
