CHENNAI: Notorious gangster 'Kakathope' Balaji who has been absconding and evading arrest for a while was shot dead in an early morning police 'encounter' in the city today. The encounter happened in Vyasarpadi where the police had gone to arrest him. Balaji reportedly attacked the cops after which shots were fired at him, police said.

Balaji has 59 cases registered against him, including five murder cases and other serious criminal offences.

The criminal, who is in his late 40s, used to reside at BRN Garden, Kakathope in Kondithope, from where he got the sobriquet 'Kakathope'.

Balaji's father Ramalingam died when he was young while his mother Kanmani, who was a housekeeping staff at the Government Royapettah Hospital, is now retired.

Balaji studied up to Class 10 at the St Gabriel's School in Broadway. Later, he worked as a porter in the Mannadi area. Then he joined notorious rowdy elements Nithya (aka Nithyanandam) and Kalavetti Ravi and started collecting extortion money from lorry sheds.

The details of the five murder cases registered against 'Kakathope' Balaji are as follows:

1. In 2005, Balaji killed Yuvraj over a dispute related to extortion in the Broadway area (N3 Muthialpet Police Station: 98/2005)

2. In 2009, Balaji killed Sathish Kumar over a parking tender-related dispute (G2 Periamet Police Station: 190/2009)

3. In 2011, Balaji killed Saravanan for allegedly being in love with his associate Sudhakar's sister (C2 Elephant Gate Police Station: 16/2011)

4. In 2013, Balaji killed Vijay (aka Vijayakumar) for murdering his friend Babu's wife, Stella, in 2011 (P1 Pulianthope Police Station: 1047/2013)

5. In 2013, Balaji killed Venkatta, an associate of his rival Kalavetti Ravi (H1 Old Washermenpet Police Station: 833/2013)