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Underworld Blues
As Chennai's
crime graph grows, the active presence of gangsters worries the city’s
police. A report by India Today's Special Correspondent Arun Ram.
October
21, 2001: Two unidentified persons attack Prof R. Natarajan, director,
IIT Madras, with knives and sickles at his daughter's wedding reception.
He is admitted to hospital with deep gashes in the neck and back. The
assailants make a quick escape after the incident.
October
24, 2001: The Chennai police is doing a routine vehicle check at suburban
Vyasarpadi when a speeding Tata Qualis runs over an inspector. The police,
after a chase, stop the vehicle only to be attacked. Sub-inspector Hafiz
Jan is injured but the attacker---notorious criminal Nagendran--- is overpowered
and arrested.
October 28, 2001: Jaffer Babu (41), a pan shop owner and an accused
in several criminal cases, is slaughtered in the wee hours near his residence
at the heart of Chennai. Police say the murder was the result of an inter-gang
rivalry between two gangs---one led by Vairam and the other by Babu’s
brother Yusuf
October
29, 2001: Shanmugham, the prime accused in an attempt to murder case,
is kidnapped by a rival gang from the Madras High Court complex. He is
thrown out of a vehicle in front of his house after being stabbed.
Incidents such as these are not entirely uncommon in the metros. But the
four cases which made headlines in Chennai in a span of nine days didn’t
just point to escalating crime in Chennai. They were chilling indicators
of something more serious in that Chennai was emerging as a haven for
the underworld. Worse, the arrest of two associates of the dreaded gangster
Chota Shakeel from the city on October 7 also established that these gangs
had wide networks with the underworld in cities like Mumbai.
"The Chennai gangs are not as sophisticated as the Mumbai underworld,
but their enhanced boldness and networking are worrisome," admits
a senior police official in the state.
Take the October 29 incident. Shanmugham was walking to
e in connection with an attempt to murder case when his rival gang, headed
by Ayodhyakuppam Veeramani, attacked him and whisked him away in a van.
He was virtually slaughtered and dumped in front of his house. Within
hours, a 100-strong police force, led by Joint Commissioner C. Sylendra
Babu, stormed Veeramani's den but the gangster had escaped by sea. When
a massive search operation with the help of the Coast Guard followed,
Veeramani surrendered fearing a "fake encounter" with the police.
Unlike Veeramani, there are many who are still striking terror and roaming
the streets of Chennai. The police say there are some 50 gangs which are
active in the city and are involved in a variety of crimes like murder,
kidnapping, extortion, land grabbing, drug traffic and prostitution.
Statistics available with the Crime Reports Bureau reveal that the number
of murders in the city has gone up from 56 in 2000 to 78 this year, till
November. Similarly, the number of attempts to murder went up from 149
to 226 during the period. There has been a steep escalation in gang wars
too this year.
According to Muthukkaruppan, 212 gangsters from various gangs have been
detained under the Goondas Act this year. Of some consolation is the fact
that two dreaded names—Chera and Vellai Ravi—are lying low.
Ravi is still in prison while Chera, who was released last month, is now
willing to surrender. "I am sad that I have contributed to the city's
underworld,” says Chera. “Ravi and I have agreed to end our
enmity which has cost society dearly. I know the public may not accept
me as a reformed human being so easily, but I will strive to be one, doing
social service.”
The city
police commissioner is cautious of the truce though. "Reformation
should be encouraged," says Muthukkaruppan, "but
surveillance over the reformed should remain strong. The coming together
of two gangs is also not very good for the police."
What the commissioner is inadvertently admitting is that the police relies
heavily on rival gangs for information on activities. And here lies the
tip of the nexus and patronage.
Elaborating on the issue, Gandhirajan observes that one tricky aspect
of organised crime is the cooperation offered by politiciains, lawyers
and the police. Often, it is on the advice of these patrons that the assassins
are asked to surrender in local police stations or courts. “The officials
are paid a certain amount of money depending on the nature of the crime,”
he says, adding that some businessmen and industrialists aid the gangs
in running their business. About 72 per cent of the 19 gangs studied by
Gandhirajan were found to enjoy political patronage. Muthukkaruppan admits
that there are some policemen at the lower level who pass on information
to criminals and feels that punitive action should be taken against them.
But with no concrete evidence to nail suspects, that’s easier said
than done.
The modus
operandi of the gangsters makes it equally difficult. For one thing, the
gang members communicate mainly through mobile phones and the Internet.
Chennai city police commissioner K. Muthukkaruppan admits that technological
advancements have facilitated communication between the gang members.
As one of them lets on, at least four escape routes are planned before
an operation and each plan is headed by a gang member. At times that are
sensitive, communication is limited to the Internet as it is considered
safer. And though the Chennai mercenaries use knives, swords and sickles
during their attacks, they are also in possession of countrymade guns
and bombs which are procured from states like Bihar.
That’s not all. In a study of 19 Chennai gangs, C.K. Gandhirajan,
deputy inspector general of police (railways), presents the systematic
approach of the city’s ugly underworld. "Each mercenary gang
has its own territory, mode of operation and dress code,” he notes.
“The mercenary gangs are well-disciplined, efficient, violent, dangerous,
highly motivated and organised.”
Currently, a majority of the 22 listed gangsters in police records are
in jese men come out temporarily, reinforce their gangs, name deputies
and go back to prison, which is the best centre for interaction and upgradation
of strategies." And even though the operations are remote-controlled
from right under their nose, the police find themselves a hapless lot.
Gandhirajan suggests the setting up of a separate wing to deal with the
underworld. Not a bad idea, considering the frightening pace at which
the city’s crime graph is growing.
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