A gangster Balaji, alias ‘Kakkathoppu’ Balaji, 40, wanted in more than 40 criminal cases including extortion and murder, who was arrested recently by city police, has been detained under the Goondas Act.
According to the police, Balaji, a native of Puducherry, came to Chennai as a young boy in the late 80s and resided in BRN Garden in Broadway, He was known locally as Kakkathoppu. He once reportedly told his class teacher that he aspired to become a rowdy. As a teenager, he made a living by lifting loads at a lorry shed in Muthialpet and his life of crime began there.
Balalji operated under rowdy ‘Kothavalchavadi’ Mani in the early 90s and started to extort money from lorry owners and traders. There was constant rivalry among various gangs then, including the one led by ‘Kozhikadai’ Babu, over collecting money from traders. He later extended his area of influence to Chennai Harbour and adjoining areas, extorting money from lorry owners and businessmen. He came under the city police’s radar in 1997, following rivalry with other gangs in north Chennai that led to murders committed in cold blood by him and his men in Kakkathoppu.
Balaji and his gang members once opened the ceiling of a house and entered it. They killed his adversary, a man called Billa Suresh, in cold blood in the presence of his wife.
City police said Balaji is facing close to 50 criminal cases, including eight murders and 4 kidnappings. He was arrested by city police in the first week of November and lodged in Central Prison, Puzhal.
City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan issued orders detaining him under the Goondas Act. Under this Act, he may not receive bail easily.
Balaji has been detained under the stringent of provisions of the Goondas Act nine times earlier. Every time, he got the detention orders quashed by the High Court and came out, later jumping bail.
