Chennai police thwart gang war by nabbing six

CHENNAI: The city police thwarted a gang war by arresting six persons from two different groups who were armed with weapons to bump off each other in JJ Nagar and Maduravoyal police station limits on Monday.

According to police, the rivalry was over the murder of B Kalidas (26) in the JJ Nagar police limits in August last year. Police had received a tip-off about a gang of youths with weapons near Kalaivanar Park on Sunday night. When a team went to apprehend them, the gang fled, after which police teams secured them early Monday morning.

The arrested persons were identified as Viravin Raj (27), Deepak (24), Raj Ganesh (26), and Siddharth (18). The gang allegedly told the police officers that they were carrying weapons to defend themselves against a potential attack by Kalidas' brother, B Sakthi (24) of Mel Ayanambakkam, who was allegedly plotting to murder them over their association with the accused in Kalidas' murder. However, further probe revealed that the gang frequently used the weapons to threaten and rob the public, too. The police also secured a minor boy who was part of the group.

On information from the JJ Nagar police, the Maduravoyal police were on the lookout for Sakthi. In the early hours of Monday, police teams secured Sakthi and Jayanthan (19) of Padikuppam and seized weapons from them.

All six arrested persons were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody, while the juvenile delinquent was sent to a government home for boys.

The top brass of the city police commended the police personnel attached to JJ Nagar and Madhuravoyal police stations for their coordinated efforts leading to the arrests.