Ramanathapuram
A fortnight after antisocial S. Dharma alias Dharmaraj (38) surrendered before a court in Madurai after the police arraigned him as the main accused in the ‘Valantharavai double murder case’, the district police have detained him and two others under the Goondas Act.
Acting on the recommendations of Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena, Collector S. Natarajan ordered their detention on Friday night, police said.
Mr. Senthil Kumaran, Inspector of Police, attached to the Kenikarai police station, served the orders on the accused, presently lodged in Madurai central prison on Saturday, police said.
After the double murder of M. Boominathan (32) and R. Vijay (26) of Amman Koil at Valantharavai on the night of May 20 in a gang rivalry, Dharma, who had allegedly masterminded the murders, went absconding. After the special teams tightened the noose, the accused, who was hiding in Chennai, surrendered before a Madurai court on June 25.
After the vain bid to detain him under the Goondas Act in January when he was arrested in connection with a gang rivalry, the police detained him now. Sensing moves to detain him under the preventive act, Dharma had obtained bail and escaped. This time, police maintained secrecy while moving the files and the Collector singed the orders on Friday night, police said.
Dharma’s brother S. Karthik (26), who had also surrendered before a court in connection with the double murder, had already been detained under Goondas Act. While Dharma, facing more than 18 cases, was detained under the act for the third time, Karthik, who was facing 36 cases, was detained for the fifth time.
The police have also detained two other accused – M Vijay (21) of Azhagankulam and B Krishnamoorthy (35) of Mottayanvalasai under the Goondas act. With this, the police have detained 12 accused in the case under the act.
In all, police had arraigned 20 accused in the case and except one, all were arrested or surrendered before courts, police added.
